Guelph turf class 11A symposium rocks

Kudos to Rae Urwin, Brandon Moyer, Mikael Pehkonen to name a few of our outstanding students who led the charge by doing as much as they could  with the little they had.  This is the true meaning of doing more with less in tough times.  To the outstanding leadership by Professor Owen Roberts and Instructors Andrew and Anne Douglas, who if it was not for their guidance, this symposium would not have been as successful as it was on a professional level. 

With the economic downturn and our industry facing significant challenges, our three expert keynote speakers offered their perspective.  Dr. Tom Hsiang, University of Guelph turf researcher, delivered his message on natural alternatives to traditional pesticide use.  He gave us an example of  plants and different types of manure concoctions such as horse, cow, chicken, and geese manures and mushroom fungus which were made into a tea or brew and applied to different types of fungi, and common turfgrass diseases as compared to the fungicides and herbicides that are used today.  His conclusion was that although the mushroom fungus did well to control other fungi, the concoction was not as successful as the pesticide that is used by the industry in general.

Keith Bartlett, Superintendent at St. Georges Golf and Country Club spoke about dealing with the members who put 12 percent of the budget into flower gardens.  He was able to convince them to put the capital expenditures into more productive projects like fixing the drainage problems on the golf course.

Ron Schiedel, President of Green Horizons, spoke on entrepreneurship and the importance of diversifying  his business products in the turfgrass industry and positioning yourself for success.

In my opinion, this symposium was a resounding success!

 

 

 

Alan White – Turfsystems with a Greener Choice

Alan White, President of Turfsystems, is a man with a vision.  He came to the Guelph Turf Institute to speak to us about lawn care.  Alan spoke of his “passion for the outdoors”.  This is why he decided to pursue lawn care as a career.  In 1991 he established turfsystems.   With a solid educational background and a strong work ethic, he has led his company of 5 to 7 dedicated employees and 7 to 10 seasonal employees to a very strong market share in the lawn care industry.  He currently operates his lawn care business as a home base business with 650 square feet of office space on 3 acres of land with a 2000 square foot heated shop.  Alan believes that being a good neighbour and showing respect to your clients and customers is the best way to secure a good reputation. Add to that excellent service and you have a recipe for success. 

Alan White has shown us that positioning yourself for success takes planning, a good idea and a creative mind.  He also believes that it is important to work with clients and customers and to educate them in issues regarding lawn care and other turf related issues.

In my opinion, I found Alan White to be a very intelligent and forward thinking person who is willing to get involved with community and industry professionals.  He is also a person that surrounds himself with experts/business owners in their own field.  He is also involved with sitting on different associations and boards and is a go-to guy in relation to industry know how in the lawn care business.

Pesticide Free Fields in City of Waterloo

The City of Waterloo has been running their pesticide free management program on their sportsfields for the last 10 years.  They use Trifecta perennial rye grass blends,  slow release base fertilizer 14-3-13, gypsum and humate.  Both the latter products improve the uptake of nutrients in plants, treat acid soil conditions and help aid soil in water retention.  They also stimulate plant growth by reducing soil toxicity.

Jeff Fortune, the City of Waterloo Field Manager, has enormous responsibilities with a few dedicated full-time staff of 3 employees.  They look after “58 sportsfields covering over 92 acres and and 19 irrigated fields covering over 30 acres”.  In the summer he stated “that we do hire both temporary and student labourers to assist in the upkeep, lining, and general maintenance of the fields”.  He also stated that “we are responsible for the upkeep and grass cutting of the turf in the uptown core, City Hall, the library, small parks and any irrigation systems within the City of Waterloo.”   He also felt that “even though it was job security for himself, the City of Waterloo should definitely hire more employees with turf management, irrigation and sportsfield skills.”  The City of Waterloo do not hire employees based on their technical knowledge but hire based on who you know and the ability to secure employment through their job pool.  They then offer short courses for those interested in the turf management areas.

I believe  the staff of the City of Waterloo should be commended for their no pesticide policy. I saw for myself that the turf looked really good and there were no major problems with weed growth.  On the other hand,  they should put more focus on hiring  more staff  with turf experience to help manage the many different sportsfields  and allow for a policy of taking on intern students from the University of Guelph Turf Management Program.  Their no pesticide policy I believe, is the future of turf.  The question begs to ask ,does our sod, soil, golf course, and sportsfields need to look perfect for us to play on?  For me the answer is a resounding no!

Turf Care A Cutting Edge Company

Turf Care is a dynamic company.  The owner is Ron Craig.  He has a Business Degree from the University of Guelph.  His motto is “he loves golf and he loves turf care”.  This motto is his passion first and foremost.  Ron also loves to sell lawnmowers, and if that is not profitable enough he is also willing to lease them, fix them and trade them back. 

“Since our beginning in 1975 we have grown from a sales oriented distributor of Toro commercial products in Ontario to a sales and service organization servicing the needs of all golf customers in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces” stated Gary Morris, the head of Commercial Sales.

Turf Care has 32 years of profitable service.  Its product lines have expanded to include golf irrigation, landscape irrigation, lighting, water management, parts, commercial equipment, used equipment and golf carts.  In regards to Turf Care, this company has shown itself to be customer driven providing outstanding services for those golf courses wanting to provide the best greens and fairways possible for their customers.  They also work with homeowners to provide excellent service with their state of the art irrigation systems.  This company has shown itself to be resilient with a progressive way of thinking outside the box.  It also invests in their employees by providing cross-training opportunities within the company which makes the company a fun place to work and learn different skills.  They also provide excellent customer service by standing behind their brand which is Turf Care.

 

Tim O’Connor Public Relations Guru

Tim O’Connor spoke to the heart of the matter.  When he stated that “developing good relationships will bolster your brand”  especially when you are dealing with industry professionals. It is important to make face to face contact if you can, or even calling the person on the telephone as opposed to emailng them, at least they can identify the voice of the person they are speaking with. 

Tim also stated that “it is important to know your facts in regards to what you are trying to sell. ”  This means that it is very important to know what you are going to say by writing it down , therefore it allows you to be more prepared and makes you come across as being more professional.  Secondly, developing an agenda means staying focused on your goals and your outcomes.  For example, if you are going to seek funding from a company, it is very important to write down what you’re going to say to your contact and it is important to get the right person to speak to in regards to decision making.  Then you have to keep your sales pitch very simple, clear and direct.  It is also important to let them know what you have to offer them in return for the funding or sponsorship that you are requesting.  By following this formula laid out by Tim O’Connor, in my opinion, it would open up a lot of doors in regards to all industry including the turf industry in general.

I believe Tim O’Connor was ‘bang on’ when he spoke on the three important concepts– know your key message, stick to your agenda and communicate with others.  This kind of message is very inclusive and speaks directly to the art of communicating with others because in the turf industry, it is not necessarily what you know but who you know.  Networking is a very important concept and when applied in the right way it is a very effective way to be able to meet others in your field.

Sentinels in Westmount Golf Forest

The Westmount Golf and Country Club was cut out of a sugar maple, beech and ash forest.  The course was designed by the ‘famed course designer/architect Stanley Thompson’. 

The superintendent, Cory Janzen, who is a knowledgeable professional gave us a very clear insight into issues and challenges that have to be dealt with in managing this outstanding golf course. 

The biggest problems of all the issues were the 20,000 mature trees that dot the landscape like sentinels in the forest.  The problem with too many large trees on a golf course is that they block out a lot of sunlight, which in turn leads to a lot of shaded areas where diseases can propogate themselves. They can  create havoc  on the greens, tees and fairways by posing a danger to the irrigation system and sending out a lot of root shoots which can damage the turf areas and  the turf equipment.  The major concerns with trying to remove trees in these environmentally friendly times can be a major headache for a superintendent.  ‘There are many tree lovers among the members of the golf club who do not like trees to be cut down’, Cory stated.  There is also the issue of the City by-laws, greens committees, municipal and provincial regulations, which can pose a daunting task for a superintendent.  When it comes to tree removal the first important step is to have a sunlight study done.  This study provides the basis for the justification of the removal of trees from areas that hinder the play of the game.

I believe that the management of these trees should be dealt with by all the stakeholders using a common sense approach.  Yes it is important to have a sunlight study done but above all if the trees surrounding the greens, tees and fairways are posing a hazard, danger or blocking out the sunlight or in any way hindering play, they should be removed by ‘thunder and lightning’, the two old chainsaws.

Islington Golf Course Challenges

Bad water quality, irate neighbours, City By-Law Officers, salinated water, a reservoir that had 20,000 pounds of industrial waste products that had to be removed before it was used as a water holding reservoir.  These are some of the challenges  facing the Superintendent, Robin Stafford.  

He spoke on many issues that affect the Superintendent’s job in terms of negotiations with stakeholders who are club members, neighbours, city councillors, urban planners, greens committee and others that have a stake in policy making.  In terms of managing the golf course, you have to be a problem solver and you can’t always keep everyone happy.  Some people will say yes, some will say maybe, and others will say no way it can’t be done.

Water quality was a major issue and one of his six components for healthy turf.  The  problem they were facing with water was that there was too much sodium in the water.  This water came from the Mimico Stream which is notorious for bad water quality.  They received an order from the City not to take water out of the Mimico Stream to water the course.  They had to build their own reservoir out of a toxic waste dump and in the process having to remove 20,000 pounds of industrial waste before this could happen and the reservoir was useable.  The salinity problem has not gone away and the turf is still being watered with salty water.  They deal with too much sodium in the turfgrass by flushing out the turf with heavy potable water from their own reservoir.

In dealing with the issue at Islington Golf Course, in my opinion the Superintendent Robin Stafford is very knowledgeable and shows that he is capable of handling the stakeholders and managing the situation as it evolves.  On hole # 3, the solution for the neighbour’s house that is too close to the fairway was to build an 80 foot fence as the cost of $350,000 and restrictions were put on them as to when they can cut the grass depending on the homeowner’s breakfast plans. The next problem to solve was the City’s restriction on the removal of water from the Mimico Stream.  The solution was to build a reservoir.  The third problem was the salinity of the water from the reservoir.  The solution was to overspray the turf with a heavy spray of water to dilute the sodium going into the ground.  The last problem was that the 16th hole which ran along a busy roadway and could be a legal nightmare because of major liability risks.  The solution to that problem is in the works.

Glen Abbey’s Visible Dilemmas

Last Thursday morning we departed from the University of Guelph for the Glen Abbey Golf Course.  This course was designed by Jack Nicklaus and it opened in 1976.  Jack designed this course with only serious golfers in mind.  The course itself is a tough property to manage.  There were many concerns and challenges facing the Superintendent Scott Bowman who spoke about ‘the importance of having a 5 to 10 year business plan.’  This plan would encompass working finances for infrastructure projects which might not be a high priority for those in the upper management group.  This was clearly understood when Scott gave us a tour down to the ‘Valley Holes’ .  He showed us a retaining wall that was in disrepair because of the soil erosion that was taking place. Another issue was that a stone barrier was damaged by ice causing it to fall into the stream.  The soil beneath the course consists of heavy clay so that drainage is a real and constant problem. This was seen 2 years in a row when during the 2008 and 2009 Canadian Open Championship parts of the course were not able to cope with the heavy rainfall which caused some bunkers to be washed out and left a lot of water on the course.  These are some of the challenges that he faces while at the same time dealing with all the other responsibilities of running a successful golf course. 

‘Glen Abbey is one of  most famous golf courses and is home to the Royal Canadian Golf Association and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. It has hosted 25 Canadian Open Championships, more than any other course, with the first having been 1977.  Glen Abbey hosted the 2008 and 2009 Canadian Opens.  As of 2005, Glen Abbey is owned by ClubLink Corporation.  It is located in Oakville, Ontario, west of Toronto.’

Scott Bowman, in my opinion, is very passionate about being the best Superintendent he can be within the boundaries of Glen Abbey.  He really showed me that you have to pay attention to details no matter how small and you have to know your limits when situations happen outside of your control.

Broccoli Farm Transformed to Golf Course

In the case of Copetown Golf Club, Gord and Neil Forth saw an excellent opportunity to capitalize on a good investment.  Farming was their lifeblood.  They grew all types of vegetables on their 3 farms but did not know what to do with their 200 acres of farmland with sandy soil, which does not hold any moisture or water, they decided to turn their tract of land into a golf course.

‘For many years Gord and Neil Forth grew numerous varieties of fresh vegetables, but in 1984 they made a decision to specialize in broccoli.  It was a challenge for many years to produce a high quality broccoli crop due to soil conditions on this particular 200 acres.  So discussion began for an alternate use of the land.’

Taking good farmland and rezoning it for recreational purposes is a bad idea.  Taking bad farmland and using it for recreational purposes is a good idea.  In my opinion, recreation like golfing is an excellent pasttime which provides pleasure for millions of people in Canada.  Gord and Neil Forth are shrewd farmers\businessmen who knew their land and their business.  They have provided us, the consumers, with an excellent product in terms of a beautiful golf course with a good rate of return for themselves. I found Gord Forth to be a man who does not mince his words.  He was always straight to the point when explaining the difficulties he had in rezoning the land and dealing with the Ministry of Agriculture’s regulations regarding water and land use, natural areas and trees.  ‘It was a real challenge’ as far as he was concerned but they finally got there.

Austrian Pine Attacked By Diplodia

The Lambton Golf and Country Club is in the middle of a major renovation project.  One important issue that had to be dealt with in terms of the Master Plan was how to go about removing the 400 plus Austrian Pine trees from the site and how that decision would be played out with the different government ministries, for example the Conservation Authority and the City of Toronto.  Adding to the mix was the fact that these Austrian Pines were infected by the ‘Diplodia Tip Blight ‘, which is a common pest to this species of trees and it gendra.  The results of these meetings with all stakeholders was that 1200 other trees would have to be planted in their place. 

‘Diplodia tip blight is a common fungal disease of Austrian Pine.  These needles appear as short brown tufts at the end of the branches.  Small black reproductive structures of the fungus can be seen at the base of these stunted needles.  Diplodia tip blight often does not show up on trees until 15 to 20 years old. Fungicide sprays may be used but does not improve the health of the tree.’

The decision to remove 400 plus Austrian Pines from their location at the Lambton Golf and Country Club was an excellent decision based on good judgement by all stakeholders involved.  From what I could see of the remaining trees, they were an eyesore in terms of the asthetics of the view.  The tips of the Pine needles were burnt brown in colour and were quite a contrast with the green needles on the rest of the tree.  In my opinion it was a good decision made by all.  In terms of the replacements for the Austrian Pines, no information was given concerning the alternate trees.