Divot Mix

Give me a man with big hands and big feet and no brain and I'll make a golfer out of him. -- Walter Hagen

March Green Links features bird habitat

The Green Links feature story for March is a lesson in how wildlife habitat and enhancement projects on golf courses can make a difference for birds, especially in urban or developed areas.

Dean Piller, GCSAA Class A superintendent at Cordova Bay Golf Course in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada,  relates the details of their bird habitat enhancement project in his case study.

As a participant in Audubon International’s Certified Signature Program, Cordova Bay Golf Course practices environmental stewardship and related education for the benefit of their community and wildlife.  Bob Farren, CGCS and director of grounds at Pinehurst Resort, features Dean’s work in the March Green Links feature on www.eifg.org.

Rounds down slightly in January

Same-facility rounds in the U.S. were down 4.3 percent in January 2008 vs. January 2007. However, only about 3 percent of total U.S. annual rounds volume occurs in the month of January, so the impact should be minimal.

In regions where there is a significant amount of play in January, Central/South Florida was down 3.9 percent and the Southwest was down 14.5 percent.

Rounds Played, 2008 vs. 2007
Source: NGF/Allied Golf Associations

Public facilities fall into one of three categories based on peak season weekend green fees with cart:
Premium (High) - Above $70; Standard (Middle) - $40-$70; Value (Low) - Below $40
Region 10 includes Hawaii; Region 11 includes Alaska.

MLB turf managers renovate Phoenix high school field

The final day of the annual Major League Baseball sports turf managers conference was spent giving back to a Phoenix area high school – Paradise Valley High School.  About 48 groundskeepers, representing 25 MLB clubs, helped renovate the school's field in one day.

Coming from all over the U.S. and Canada, the crew rebuilt the pitcher’s mound, bullpen and batter’s box; mowed and edged the turf; dragged the infield; and incorporated field conditioner into the playing surfaces. Grant Trenbeath, sport turf manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks, helped connect the MLB groundskeepers with Paradise Valley. 

"We were happy to renovate a sports field in the Phoenix area," says Trenbeath. "Besides helping the community, it allowed us time for camaraderie – to catch up with one another. We sweat elbow-to-elbow, working hard to get a lot done in a single day with a dedicated group."

The team of major league grounds managers and representatives from Toro, Turface and Covermaster came together to shovel, rake and cut excess turf, giving Paradise Valley’s ball field a major league makeover.

Roy Muller, teacher and coach at Paradise Valley, said, "The renovation made the sports field look great and also safer for the kids. But it was really good for the students to see the professionals volunteer their time and energy for a community project.  It was also fun for the students to interact with the professionals about their MLB teams and particular sports field venue."

Sponsors donated equipment, materials and their time, including a Groundsmaster rotary mower, Workman utility vehicles, Dingo loader, line painter, and an Infield Pro with attachments from Toro. Turface Athletics provided Turface soil conditioner and mound clays, and Covermaster donated sports surface covers.