Turf Line News

June/July 2014

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WESTERN CANADA TURFGRASS ASSOCIATION 31 Wishing them both the very best of luck, we finished the winter term at Olds College with two CGSA/TORO Future Superintendent nominees; Carmen Kozak (graduating turf diploma) and Franz Unterberger (graduating applied turf degree). As exceptional ambassadors of our program and industry, we are very proud of both students. We can also raise a toast to Ms. Stacy Reichert, who recently won CGSA's Scholastic award of $2500 for her article reporting on the Alberta floods. New to our "TORO University" reel building and grinding training, we are now able to provide our students an accredited certificate after completion. Oakcreek was recognized this January by Bern- hard and Company UK, as an official trainer for these sessions. Our sin- cere thanks go out to Mr. Jonathan Templar, Kim Furnell, and Sallie Taylor of Bernhard & Co., for their support and acknowledgement. This spring, degree grads took to the Glencoe Golf Club in order to gain a broader perspective of the golf business. We learned from Mike Kenney, General Manager of the $10m/yr club, what it takes to manage an entire golf facility. Later in the term and seeking an alternative point of view, we visited the Olds Highlands golf course to gain insight and perspective from another Head Professional and General Manager, Wade Berchell, with dramatically differing goals. We learned to compare the differences among private and daily fee courses and the diverse techniques each employ to remain profitable. Each fall, diploma students in our golf course construction class create course features in our 20,000 square foot indoor construction center. This year, grads completed tee and bunker construction projects; drainage install, bunker board, liner and shaping, proving that you can still learn how to build in the dead of winter inside the Olds College Pavilion complex. As an ongoing commitment to provide premier turfgrass management programming, members and subcommittee members of the 2014 turfgrass advisory group, were invited for their quarterly annual review of the turf program. Among many agenda items discussed over the two-day session were the new turf pro- gram and the subsequent summer field schools and internships. Each member brought excep- tional insight to the table prompting energetic discussion. The Olds College turfgrass advisory group may include up to twelve industry pro- fessionals, including superintendents and field experts, who review all program offerings in detail, offering relevant techniques to faculty in order to maximize competency, relevancy, student learning and experience. A significant contribution of time and energy to assist on the advisory board is greatly appre- ciated. We thank, once again, our advisors and attending partners; Brad Eshpeter (Red Tail landing), John Faber (Springbank Links), Mike Johnson (Blackhawk Golf Club), Darren Red- dekopp (Bearspaw Golf Club), Robin Sadler (Silvertip Golf Club), Terry Shinkewski, (Canal Delacour Golf Club), Kelly Watkins (Keso Turf), Kerry Watkins (Glencoe Golf Club), Dustin Zdan, (Connaught Golf Club) and BCGSA president Mr. Dean Piller for joining faculty and contributing to the sessions and social events! Following the program review sessions, a social event including advisors, students, and faculty joined for a tour of the new Olds College brewery. With some additional liquid motivation to chat, discussions continued well into the evening with students sharing their ideas during an open networking session. We wish to thank all our advisory group leaders for investing in the turf program at Olds College and helping us create innovative learning goals to continually improve our turf program. WCTA Find more program information on the Olds College website: oldscollege.ca or contact Olivia Knight, Enrolment Advisor at 403-507-7713, Toll Free: 1-800-661-6537, email: golf@oldscollege.ca to request an information package CAMPUS NEWS BY JASON PICK OLDS COLLEGE JUNE 2014 NEWS OLDS COLLEGE TURF STUDENTS CONSTRUCT A GOLF COURSE BUNKER INSIDE THE LANDSCAPE PAVILION. IMAGE COURTESY OLDS COLLEGE this tool allows you to accurately measure the amount of water in your root zone. You will get more consistent playing surfaces, save water and get to know your soil profile a lot better. Soil Moisture Meters: There are a variety of these tools available. The two companies that have been around the longest and exhibit at the GCSSAA show are Spectrum Technologies and Campbell Scientific. Many of our peers and researchers use the TDR 300 from Spectrum. There are other com- panies but these two allow for changing of rods and multiple rod lengths. No two golf courses or places within a golf course are the same so don't bother asking what your number is. For example, our 5th green has more compost added to the greens mix than other greens on the site because during construc- tion, a large amount of it blew away before we got it tilled. After supplementing, it turned out we had about 10% more than the other greens. You will start to find out how your water moves and where your irrigation inefficiencies are. What rod lengths do you need? It depends… What grass do you have? What are you trying to do? If you have Poa, it doesn't matter if you have water 4.7 inches down in July if your roots are only three inches deep. With Poa, a lot of guys are simply topping up the water with their system, measuring their levels and then hand watering to keep their surface at consistent moisture levels. On the other hand, I have Bentgrass greens and I turn my irrigation system on when my TDR with eight inch rods tell me to, which usually works out to a week or so. We deep water and then go out the next day to hand water areas that are lower in values compared to the rest of the area on the green. My surfaces however, are not consistent from day to day, especially day one and two but by day three to seven, they are more consistent to each other as the top couple inches have dried out. I have had my TDR for three seasons now and have learned a lot about my grass and root zone. The device has allowed me to do things that work for Sagebrush and wouldn't necessarily work at other facilities. I know a lot of courses use their TDR differently and it works for them. The key is learning to maximize your water resource and providing the best surfaces for your property. If you want to take your TDR to the next level, there is mapping software available that keeps records of readings and maps out different moisture levels. To set up these options you need to connect an external GPS as well as buy the mapping software and a subscription. In upcoming issues I will go over technology that is nice but maybe not necessary. WCTA

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