October Trades Reviews

Cherrington Rock Pickers

Cherrington Rock Pickers feature a truly innovative one-step seedbed preparation screener for an absolute perfect new seedbed. Screen depth is adjustable from 1 to 6 inches deep, and they remove stones from one-half, three-fourths or 1 inch to 10 inches in diameter. The oscillating sifting screen is powered off the tractor’s PTO. The loading paddles convey the soil and debris onto the screen, the screened soil is returned to the seedbed, while everything larger than the selected, and easily changeable, screen hole size is retained in the hi-lift hopper. The optional powered roller can be attached ahead of the screener for tilling the compacted soil before screening, often times eliminating a need for an earlier tilling pass. Rock picking and seedbed preparation have changed and Cherrington Screening design will reduce labor and improve seed germination results.

Cherrington Enterprises
701-952-0226
www.cherrington.net

John Deere Golf adds reel and bedknife grinders to offering

John Deere Golf today announces the launch of a new family of reel and bedknife grinders under John Deere’s Frontier Equipment brand name. Models available include the Frontier RG5000 Manual Spin and Relief Reel Grinder, RG5500 Semi-Automatic Spin and Relief Reel Grinder, BG1000 Manual Bedknife Grinder and BG1500 Semi-Automatic Bedknife Grinder. The grinders provide precise reel and bedknife maintenance, ensuring turf professionals have the tools available to provide a premium quality of cut every single day, across a wide range of course conditions. 

Featuring integrated tooling decals that allow for quick and efficient setup, the Frontier Reel and Bedknife Grinder line is the perfect complement to John Deere Quick Adjust 5 and Quick Adjust 7 cutting units. All models are also capable of providing a precision grind on reels and bedknives from any manufacturer.

“Bedknives receive more wear and tear than any other component on a reel mower, and a dull or improperly sharpened bedknife can cause a variety of cut quality issues,” said Brad Aldridge, product manager, John Deere Golf. “No matter what front and top angles work best for the golf course, whether it’s factory specifications or another preference, the Frontier BG1000 and BG1500 can handle the job.”

The topic of whether to only spin or both spin and relief grind a wheel can often lead to a lengthy debate. No matter what method is preferred, both the RG5000 and RG5500 Spin and Relief Reel Grinders are engineered to meet customer needs. Both grinders feature a standard auto-indexing relief grind system for returning reels to factory specifications.

John Deere
www.JohnDeere.com

Broyhill’s AccuPro 210 Sprayer


AccuPro 210 is Broyhill’s answer to your dedicated sprayer needs. The new 27-hp Kohler version provides plenty of power with their 5-speed manual GM transmission. It’s loaded with options that include spray controllers, foam marker, spray gun kits, motorized ball valve kits to control flow and much more, and 15’ or 21’ booms are available.

For more information regarding the Broyhill’s complete line of turf sprayers, vacuums, utility vehicles, trap rakes and general grooming equipment, call 1.800.228.1003 ext. 34,
email: sales@broyhill.com or visit www.broyhill.com








New versatile outdoor adhesive can apply from below freezing to hot desert temperatures

NORDOT® Adhesive #34P-4 from Synthetic Surfaces Inc. is a new, one-component outdoor adhesive that was designed to install and/or repair synthetic turf and other outdoor surfaces in widely variable and sometimes hostile weather conditions. It fills the need for a versatile adhesive which allows the outdoor installation and repair season to expand from only “fair weather” days to year-round. Surfaces that benefit are: playgrounds, athletic fields, landscaping, rooftops, golf, airports and lounging areas.  Additional non-obvious outdoor uses will be recognized by professionals in construction, marine, military and recreational industries.

NORDOT Adhesive #34P-4 can be applied to a dry or damp surface at any outdoor temperature and humidity in which a mechanic can work. It is particularly useful in cold weather when installations and repairs usually stop because, to our knowledge, no other adhesive can be used for installations from hot desert temperatures down to
below freezing. After curing, NORDOT Adhesive #34P-4 has outstanding durability, both above ground and under water.

Further information is available from: Synthetic Surfaces Inc.,
Tel: (908) 233-6803; Fax: (908) 233-6844; email: info@nordot.com;
Web: www.nordot.com.

Westendorf Manufacturing Co. Inc. introduces the ‘Easy-Off” Cool Cap tractor canopy

With the introduction of newer and foldable ROPS, Westendorf Manufacturing has responded with an Easy-Off Cool Cap tractor canopy that can be removed or re-installed in just seconds without the use of tools. Westendorf Cool Caps provide comfort, UV protection and added value to your tractor or lawn mower. 
The Easy-Off Cool Cap provides protection from the sun’s harmful rays or an unexpected rain shower. This designer canopy has a distinctive, ergonomic shape with a clean automotive finish. The Cool Cap, available only from Westendorf, has a patented high-gloss iso-ceramic finish that provides a durable, UV-resistant finish that minimizes sun fading. The Westendorf Cool Cap is available in many colors, with custom colors also available.
   
In addition to the Cool Cap being built to look good, items like the Easy-Off mounting bracket and quick-release spring lock ensure functionality and versatility. Like all the Westendorf products, the Cool Cap Cap’s design was based on customer feedback. Remove the canopy to mow under low trees or for additional overhead clearance. Re-install the canopy quickly in hot or rainy conditions.
   
For more information, visit the web site at www.loaders.com.

Soil sampling, testing and amendment application

 by Doug Tinkham

Doug is the superintendent at The Shoals Golf Club at Muscle Shoals, Ala.and can be reached at DTinkham@rtjgolf.com

Gone is the day when the golf course superintendent had to be an expert in every field.  Technology has made it impossible to be successful without the help of a few good experts.  Just as I no longer feel comfortable sticking my hand into a pump station control cabinet containing fuses bigger than my arm, I’m not ready to make major soil chemistry decisions without the help of a good soil scientist – especially growing Bentgrass in the Deep South.

Working with an expert in soil science has several advantages. At The Shoals, we have worked with Steve Ninemire of the Ninemire Group since inception. Not only has working with the same person given us an invaluable history, it gives us another set of eyes to examine the data and draw conclusions based on what we see in the field and in the lab. Regardless of who processes your soil samples, consistency is the key to recognizing the trends. We have been sampling and tracking our greens since 2003, and have included saturated soil or paste tests every three weeks for the past three years. The saturated soil tests have given us a pretty fair window into the effects of our maintenance practices. The monthly addition of calcite calcium, gypsum, humic acid, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium can become very efficient and accurate with real time testing. An agronomic fertility plan is developed over the winter months based on the values found in the existing soil and the amount of nutrients required by the plant. 

2012 Tennessee Turfgrass Association Golf Course of the Year Award

The Tennessee Turfgrass Association (TTA) recognizes that you make personal and professional contributions to our industry and to the organization you serve. Therefore, the TTA would like to distinguish golf courses across the state with the Golf Course of the Year Program. Through our Golf Course of the Year Program we are able to greatly further one main element of our mission: to gain acknowledgement for the professionalism of our members.
More info here

NMSU's Turfgrass Research - working for the future of golf

By any other name, grass - spinach, cabbage, grunkel, graminoid - is still grass.

But do you appreciate grasses for the extremely diverse and versatile organisms that they are? After all, we don't just use grasses for sports turf, we make beer, whisky, paper, clothing, flooring and insulation from them. Bamboo and cereals are actually closely related to the sports turf you'll be playing on this weekend.

I sat down the other day with NMSU Associate Professor Dr. Ryan Goss at his Skeen Hall office to see what's been happening in turfgrass research.

While there is no official designation, Dr. Goss and his colleague Dr. Bernd Leinauer carry the NMSU load when it comes to the golf course maintenance industry. The two are known to many former students and their colleagues across the country as the NMSU "Turfgrass Department."

Both devote half their time to research, while Dr. Goss teaches and Leinauer does extension work for the other half of their positions. Dr. Leinauer's work takes him to golf courses, playfields, parks and even private homes across the State. As one might expect, both Goss and Leinauer's research focus is on water use, or rather finding ways to reduce it.

Dr. Goss has been testing and tinkering with various non-pesticide management (often called cultural) practices to minimize water use. The use of wetting agents, plant growth regulators and maintaining optimal fertility levels are ways to reduce water requirements of various turfgrass types.

Read more here

The House is poised to increase the “death ceiling” even as the debt ceiling debate stalls

As sustainability is more and more in the forefront of everyone's thoughts I thought this was an interesting read.

As yet another sign of how far the Congress is taking the country off track, keep an eye on how Congress fills the time while the debt ceiling debate stalls. To fill the time, the House of Representatives is busy adopting riders on the Interior Appropriations bill.  Many of these riders explicitly defund or deauthorize the government’s ability to protect the public from dangerous pollution. The irony of all this has been recognized memorably by Rep. Ed Markey, who notes that “while the DEBT ceiling remains frozen, the DEATH ceiling is being raised” by these anti-environment appropriations riders.

These riders are legislative provisions that are far too extreme to pass Congress on their own merits, but not too extreme to offer during this legislative wilding in the House. Together, these riders undermine decades of progress protecting our nation’s environmental heritage. They threaten the air we breathe and the water we drink.

Read the rest of the article here.

Starting a new section in our magazine

We are starting something new in the Golf Trades magazine it is a section called supers talk. Superintendents are asked a question about a topic and given an opportunity to give an opinion. The first of these will be in the September issue which will start mailing out around the 10th of August.

If you would like to contribute to this or write something else please email me at ken@thetrades.com.

The September question was really a simple one, they will get harder, for starters it reads: When asked about purchasing course furnishings such as signs, rakes, markers this is what superintendents had to say.

I would like to thank all these that have contributed.

Doug Tinkham - Superintendent

The Shoals Golf Club

Muscle Shoals, AL
www.rtjgolf.com/theshoals

We buy our flags and putting green cups twice a year in September and in March. We replace them after the greens have healed from aerification. We purchase two complete sets of putting green cups each time. This allows us the opportunity to bring the cups in every day for cleaning and inspection. Flag poles are replaced once a year and as needed. Bunker rakes are replaced as needed and shrink wrap is applied to the handles when the coating on the fiberglass starts to wear out. Signage is also replaced as needed.

We make our own tee markers in the off-season out of treated fence posts. They are cut at a 45 degree angle on both ends, sealed then painted. We keep an extra set of markers on hand.  This allows for an easy swap-out when repainting or replacement takes place.         

We budget these bulk accessory purchases twice a year. Items in need of replacement throughout the year are paid for out of a small monthly supplies line item in the budget. Our purchases are always done over the phone or in person with one of our vendors. We have not done any Internet purchasing as of yet.

Jeff Johnson - Superintendent

The Minikahda Club

Minneapolis, MN

www.minikahdagrounds.blogspot.com

When it comes to purchasing course accessories, the majority of our purchases are made from the company’s catalogs and then ordered over the phone through our local distributor. Typical items purchased yearly are flags (three sets for changing out in season as well as spares), new flag poles along with spares and new cup liners. Additional purchases such as benches and ball washers, bunker rakes, tee markers and hazard stakes are purchased on an as-needed basis. Our benches, bunker rakes, tee markers and hazard stakes are made of wood and require staining on a yearly basis. 

Typically we do not build any items in-house but we do sand blast and repaint all ball washers on a yearly basis as well as sand and stain all wood products.

Since we want the course accessories to look fresh and maintained in good condition we purchase the flags, poles and cup liners on a yearly basis and purchase enough for change outs in season.

Paul L. Carter, CGCS - Superintendent

Bear Trace at Harrison Bay

Harrison, TN

www.bthbgcm.blogspot.com

Course furnishings, such as flags, signs, or bunker rakes, can make or break the overall appearance of your golf course and the level of enjoyment for your golfers and guests.  Flags that are faded, threadbare, or mismatched, signs that are damaged or broken, and bunker rakes that are missing, broken or damaged can leave a less than desirable impression. With budgets shrinking, but the expectations of the golf course remaining the same, golf course superintendents must find new and better ways to stretch their course amenity dollars.

One way we have reduced our expenses while still providing quality products for our guests is to look at products/services that are not “cheaper,” just more economical. We purchase our flags from Prestige Flag for several years at a single time in order to receive a volume discount. We also have begun using VinylGuard vinyl wrapping on our flagsticks and bunker rake handles to improve the appearance of these items and to eliminate the need of yearly replacement. 

Cost and longevity of the product have to be examined when purchasing products for the golf course. For me, I will change flags more readily than any other course supply because I know that every golfer that plays my course will see the flags, but not every golfer will be in a bunker during their round. Budgets need to be designed so the course products that are most visible and most used are replaced or repaired on a more regular basis.

Justin Ruiz, CGCS - Superintendent

Indian Summer Golf and Country Club

Olympia, WA

www.indiansummergolf.blogspot.com

The course supplies I have generally ordered over the phone with a catalog. I will sometimes buy something off of the truck when they visit, but when they show up unannounced it puts me on the spot and usually I won’t order something on impulse.  Signage for the golf course, I like to be a little more unique. I will find a local sign company and have the signage custom-made. It is not much more expensive and you can make yourself stand out from the other generic signage from a name brand. To save money we will take the ball washers off each season or every other season, depending on water quality, and get them sand blasted and powder coated. This will give us a fresh look year after year, and give us time to do preventative maintenance so we can utilize the same ball washers for longer. We also use aluminum cups that we can also sand blast the inside and repaint to keep the cups looking consistently new. With the average cost of a new cup being close to $30, we can make use of a couple sets for quite a few years.

I budget for the first few months of the year. We have gone through all of our stuff during the winter and know what we will need. I buy most of what I will need at the start of the year, and then only the little stuff will get purchased throughout the year, like marking paint or rope. 

Chris Tritabaugh, CGCS - Superintendent

Northland Country Club

Duluth, MN

www.northlandgrounds.blogspot.com

 We purchase most of our golf course accessories through catalogs, over the phone and on the Internet. Whenever possible, I try and keep to local suppliers. Par Aide, being located in the Twin Cities is, of course, a wonderful and often-used option.

Our second assistant is very handy with wood, and he has made a number of our on-course accessories, benches and cooler stands most notably. We try and get as much ROI from our on-course accessories as possible.

Key to our success

Good playing conditions are not created overnight by one person. Good playing conditions are the result of consistent upkeep and management by a dedicated staff, oriented toward a common goal. As the superintendent of Stockton Golf and Country Club, I am the person who is ultimately responsible for everything on the 125 acres that my staff and I care for. I certainly cannot do everything myself, although I tried for a few months when I first arrived. It doesn’t take long to realize that I’m only as good as my staff and they are a reflection of my efforts. Five years later, I’m happy to stand in front of our daily assignment board and see the dedicated individuals that look back at me.

Stockton Golf and Country Club is a private, 18-hole course established in 1914. The original layout was designed by Sam Whiting with renovations by John Harbottle in 1997. The course has fairly tight, tree-lined fairways and small greens. The majority of the property sits below sea level with levees holding back the water on two sides. Just off the first tee, the newly designed clubhouse and the ninth hole are California’s farthest inland port with large ships providing scenery on a regular basis. This can be a great place to work with appreciative and supportive members. I get many more compliments than I deserve when most should go directly to the crew that that makes this place what it is.

Reade the rest here

Proper maintenance starts with keeping your equipment clean

In today’s economy, turfgrass managers are being asked to stretch budget dollars farther than ever before. In years past it was not uncommon for a golf course to get new equipment every few years or to get a whole new fleet of equipment every 3 to 4 years through the lease packages offered by many turfgrass equipment manufacturers. Today, however, the purchase of new equipment is not looked upon very favorably by many boards of directors or owners. Equipment technicians are being asked to stretch the equipment a couple more years, and to some the only way to accomplish this task is to take better care of the equipment as a whole.

The most important aspect of maintaining the equipment, according to several turfgrass managers that I spoke with, is to keep the equipment clean. Matt Kregel, golf course superintendent of The Club at Strawberry Creek in Kenosha, Wis., is “a true believer that equipment operates better and more efficient when it is properly cleaned and taken care of.” Mr. Kregel also states that properly cleaned equipment allows his turf technician the opportunity to perform daily adjustments to cutting units, as well as accomplish preventative maintenance in a timely manner.

Read the rest here

Getting to the green: Improving golf cart efficiency

One of golf’s least celebrated yet major environmental triumphs is the wide spread adoption of the golf cart. Developed primarily for our industry, these low-speed vehicles have now been adopted worldwide by private communities and urban centers as an alternative to conventional automobiles. Future technologies that will power our automobiles in the future are often tested and showcased on the golf cart platform. A few of note are Yamaha’s methane-powered golf cart (yes, poo-powered), hydrogen (Toro Workman) and even algae and compressed air. But let’s leave the future behind us for now and look at why golf courses are transitioning from gas to electric. Let’s also examine the pros and cons of each and review a few options to help improve your operational efficiency no matter what kind of cart you have.

Read the rest here

The August 2011 issue of The Golf Course Trades

Welcome to the August 2011 issue of The Golf Course Trades magazine. We hope you are having a great summer. In our cover story, “Key to our success,” we get to know Jim Alwine, superintendent of Stockton Golf and Country Club in Stockton, Calif. Jim points out that good playing conditions are the result of consistent upkeep and management by a dedicated staff. He tells us that he learned early on that he is only as good as his staff, and that they are a reflection of his efforts.

This month our focal point articles include, “Proper maintenance starts with keeping your equipment clean,” by Paul L. Carter, superintendent at the Bear Trace at Harrison Bay in Harrison, Tenn. As Paul puts it, turfgrass managers have to stretch budget dollars more than ever before in today’s economy. Equipment technicians are being asked to stretch the equipment a couple more years, and to some the only way to accomplish this task is to take better care of the equipment.

Our second focal point article is provided by Scott Morrison, editor of Turfhugger.com. “Getting to the green: Improving golf cart efficiency,” reminds us that one of golf’s least celebrated yet major environmental triumphs is the widespread adoption of the golf cart. Developed primarily for the golf industry, these low-speed vehicles have now been adopted worldwide as an alternative to conventional automobiles. Future technologies that will power our automobiles in the future are often tested and showcased on the golf cart platform.

A.J. Lepley’s product in-depth article, “The Max by Muck Truck,” introduces us to the Max Dumper from Muck Truck. As A.J. puts it, sometimes it just comes down to tough, hard work. And if you’re looking for a tool to lighten your load, this product could be one of the hardest-working pedestrian-operated wheelbarrows on the market. The standard Muck Truck is a commercial grade piece of equipment, enabling one person to do the work of many without wearing down the operator. A.J. tells us that The Max is that, too… but on steroids.

In our trades reviews, you can read about Subaru’s launch of their vertical shaft overhead-cam engine for lawnmowers, Shure Manufacturing Corporation’s heavy-duty tear-down benches, Crystal BlueLinks’ creeping bentgrass, the SURFSIDE 37 soil wetting agent that doesn’t burn or discolor, and Netafim’s Techline CV dripline that is now manufactured with recycled material.


See the whole magazine here