The right idea December 6, 2009

When it comes to owning your own lawn care company, how many services should you offer? Is it better to offer a wide range of services so you have a larger business margin? Or is it better to specialize in only a few services in order to insure top notch quality. Most landscape companies offer everything from cutting grass, to building gazebos surrounded by beautiful gardens. But there are those other companies that only do specific things like spraying, cutting or irrigation.  Which one of these businesses will do better?

On November 26th we had Alan White, president of Turf Systems , come to our turf industry class as a guest speaker. His lawn care company is the type that specializes in a  few services. His company mainly specializes in maintaining good plant health, which in turn creates beautiful turf. I was surprised to learn that the company rakes in over a million dollars a year…not bad for a company that specializes!

Alan mentioned that by having different companies that specialize, it creates harmony amongst the different businesses. If a customer wants a service they don’t offer, they can recommend another company that does and vice versa. Overall, this creates good relationships with other businesses and helps find margins for everyone.  Perhaps all lawn care companies should  get together and pick different areas of specialization. Who knows, maybe by working together we’ll all get rich.

Perhaps future lawn care companies? Do you think it could happen?

Professionalism means success November 30, 2009

Professionalism in any industry is important because it creates an atmosphere of dedication.  People will look at you and think you’re serious about what you do. It allows you and your job  to be held in high regard, making your industry stronger. In other words, professionalism means success. Many job sectors require a professional attitude and appearance amongst their people, if you’re not, it will be difficult to get hired and your industry will surely crumble.

This past Friday (Nov. 27/09) first year students of the associate diploma in turfgrass management program hosted a symposium. The event consisted of golf course superintendents, sod farmers and sports field managers from Guelph and surrounding areas. This event raised the professionalism and stature of the turf management students by a few notches. Students were dressed to impress and let the veteran turf managers know that the next generation are serious about their future careers.

The turf students did a great job of showing the turf industry their dedication and commitment. The event could not have gone smoother, the speakers were right on cue with their time and lots of questions followed each speaker. Their presentations were informative, interesting and even humorous at times, which really added to the attentiveness of the guests. Six first year students even got a chance to share their knowledge with the crowd during a beat the clock segment. Overall the symposium was successful and contributed greatly to an already highly professional industry.

What image looks more appealing to you?

looking professional!

not looking professional

Pesticide free sports fields November 22, 2009

In the past the use of pesticides was no big issue, but with the country becoming more and more environmentally friendly, some provinces have started to prohibit the use of pesticides (with the exception of farms and golf courses in Ontario).  With pesticide bans increasing throughout Canada, many of the municipal turf managers are left wondering how they are going keep their sports fields looking good.  Some are panicking because they can’t see how they’re going to get along with out it, while others are learning to adjust.

This past Thursday (Nov.19/09) our class went to Waterloo and looked at some pesticide free sports fields. We saw that the turf  still looked good even though there were weeds. Jeff Fortune, who is in charge of the city ’s sports fields, said that the users never really complain about the weeds because they don’t really affect the play. The main concern for them is making sure the fields were aerated often enough to prevent compaction.

As for now, some sports fields will have to deal with some weeds. Keep in mind  it’s not the end of the world if you can’t spray pesticides any more, as long as the playing conditions are good complaints should be at a minimum. Another thing to consider is cultivating practices such as fertilizing and seeding, they can be used to help choke out weeds so not all is lost. Until researchers come up with a pesticide that is considered safe by environmentalists, cultivating practices would probably be the best alternative.

a site that is becoming more common!

Turf students hosting symposium November 13, 2009

The recent economic downfall has affected many businesses, and the turf industry is no exception. Many superintendents are trying to find ways to save money and help their golf courses stay afloat. When times are tough the best thing to do  is  get together, share ideas, encourage one another and build strong ties. On Nov. 27/09 the first year turf management students at the University of Guelph will be hosting a symposium that will do just that.

The event is titled “Doing More With Less, Managing Turf in Tough Times” and will be held at the Cutten Club (private golf club) in Guelph, ON (Nov. 27/09). The symposium will also allow participants to hear from industry successors such as co-owner of Green Horizons sod farms Ron Schiedel, superintendent Keith Bartlett of St. Georges Golf and Country Club (site of the 2010 Canadian Open) and University of Guelph expert in pathology Dr. Tom Hsiang. These speakers will leave everyone feeling informed and motivated to take on their economic issues.

Overall this event will be a great opportunity for the turf industry to get together, build strong relationships,  share insights and meet students who will be the next generation of turf managers. The guest speakers will surely leave everyone with an inspired and enthusiastic outlook when it comes to tackling problems in their sectors of the industry. Communication events are a fantastic way to create a professional image and overcome barriers such as “managing turf in tough times.”

cutten club

Being in the public eye November 8, 2009

Superintendents often find it difficult being in the public eye, constantly having to deal with member complaints and management suggestions. Usually they know these issues are all a part of their job but it doesn’t make it any easier. There is always the temptation to lay low and avoid  interaction with the public because after all, wouldn’t your job be much easier if you didn’t have to deal with all these suggestions on top of an already busy work schedule?

In our turf communications class this past week (Nov.2/09) we had Tim O’ Conner, the president of O’ Conner Golf Communications, share with us his public relations expertise. One thing we learned is that avoiding public relations is not the best idea. Tim made  it clear that superintendents should have good public relations with their members and community. Some ways of doing this are attending member events, mingling with golfers and setting yourself up as a public authority who knows his field.

Although it can be difficult motivating yourself to try these suggestions, just remember it will only help your career. By making yourself easily accessible to golfers and the community, people start to know you on a more personal level. Having this kind of report means they will likely vouch for you when it comes to the decisions you make. By making yourself known as an expert in your field, people will come to you with questions you can answer which will therefore earn the respect of the community.

ahh, This looks to be the right idea

I don't think this will help her career

Satisfying the stakeholders November 1, 2009

Superintendents often find it difficult convincing their courses to remove trees that create too much shade around greens. Too much shade creates problems because turf (especially creeping bent grass) needs sunlight to be healthy, but members don’t want to see beautiful mature trees cut down. Urban forestry may also not approve because their concern is for the environment and not for a golf course. These are some typical types of opposition a superintendent is faced with when he wants to remove trees.

Fortunately there are ways to satisfy the opposition, it just takes some convincing and quite a bit of time. The past two golf courses we visited have both had to deal with the issues involved with removing trees. At Islington Golf Club, the super brought in an outside professional  who specializes in doing sunlight analysis tests and proved that it was best for the trees to come down(which took some time). They also made a deal with Urban Forestry entailing that they plant new trees in a different location to make up for the ones cut down. At Westmount Golf and Country Club, the super built a green consisting of half poa/half bent, making it a very shade tolerant green (because of the poa). In the end he didn’t have to cut down any trees which satisfied the members.

One thing I’ve really picked up on over the past two field trips is the importance of bringing in outside professionals to convince your course of whether something needs to be done or not. Whether it’s removing trees or redoing a green, it’s a good way to protect your career. If something goes wrong the responsibility doesn’t rest solely on you, and you also protect your course from breaking any by-laws.

looks like it will take some convincing to take this tree down

Important components of turf October 25, 2009

Whether you’re taking care of your front lawn or managing a golf course, several factors come into play to determine the quality of the turf. The average home owner probably doesn’t think too much about these factors. For example they might think some watering here and there will suffice, or they could think some good sunlight is all it needs. But the well trained superintendent knows that there are many more factors that contribute to the quality of turf.

On our class trip this past Thursday (Oct. 22/09 ) we went to Islington Golf Club. One thing that stood out was how Robin Stafford (superintendent) talked about the environmental components of a turfgrass growing environment. He recommended a book by James B. Beard (who is known for his books on turf management) and that every superintendent should read his work. Robin said in his book that there are six environmental components to think about, they are water, light, temperature, water, soil and traffic.

In my opinion it is very important that anyone who is serious about managing turf be aware of all these components. If one of these factors is lacking it can affect the turf in a negative way. For instance, not enough light and the plant can’t photosynthesize, and if there’s too much traffic it can cause wearing of the turf. If you think about all these components and make sure you’re meeting the requirements, then you will have a much better handle on your turf management.

the lengendary book, by James B Beard

Major subtleties October 18, 2009

Most golf courses overlook infrastructure  issues. This could mean things like bridges that need to be replaced or fixed or creek banks that need to be built up due to erosion. The reason they overlook these problems is because they have not yet reached their full undoing. Usually it starts out as a subtle wearing in the infrastructure and no one notices but eventually gives way, creating a possible accident with a golfer or worker.

This past Thursday (Oct. 15/09) our class went to Glen Abbey golf course in Oakville. What really stood out to me was how superintendent Scott Bowman was on top of catching these infrastructure issues. He showed us a few examples like bridges and gambian rock along the creeks that needed to be replaced. He explained that these safety issues are often overlooked and that all golf courses should have long term plans to replace these structures every 10 years or so.

I think all golf courses should be aware of these kinds of issues and listen to their superintendents when they bring them up. If you end up letting these infrastructures sit for years without thinking about them, someone could get hurt. So let us be smart and spend the money to fix these things because in the end it reflects poorly on the management at the golf course. Health and safety has never been so important so we must keep everything up to code.

oh no! looks like someone could have got hurt

To seed or to sod? October 11, 2009

Some golf courses prefer to seed while others prefer to sod, but both methods seem to have advantages. For instance, seeding is cheaper and sod has that immediate aesthetic appeal. Seed involves much less physical work to establish and sod is ready for use sooner. Each method has disadvantages as well. For example sod is more expensive and seed tends to have weeds that sprout up along side  the grass. Each Golf course seems to have their own preference and some even prefer to use both.

This past Thursday (Oct. 8/09) our class went to Copetown Woods Golf Club (in Copetown, ON). We were led around by superintendent Pete Sinulta and he explained that he prefers to seed areas rather than sod. From his experience he found that seed although slower, eventually establishes stronger roots than sod would. He also found that areas that have been previously sodded did not look uniform with the surrounding turf.

So when it comes to seeding or sodding what avenue should you go with? Really, it depends on how quickly you need the area to be established. If you need a quick establishment then go with sod if you can afford it. If it is not crucial to be quick, then go with seed and you’ll save on cost. Either way you’ll eventually end up with what you want as long as you maintain the area properly.

Looks good! But more expensive.

Slower. But cheaper!

a minor adjustment October 4, 2009

Having a golf course bunker that drains properly has always been easy to achieve. But a common problem has always been the stone that goes over top of the pipe. Eventually the stone mixes in with the sand making for an unsafe and visually unappealing bunker. Traditionally you would install the drainage pipe first by digging a long narrow trench that’s sloped in the direction you want the water to run. You then lay the pipe in the trench and cover it with stone. The final step involves spreading the sand over top of the stone where eventually they mix together due to rain and raking etc.

This past Thursday (Oct. 1/09) my class went on a field to Lambton Golf and Country Club in Toronto, ON to have a tour of the ongoing renovations. One thing that caught my attention was how they drained their bunkers. They explained that they didn’t use stone to cover their pipes, but instead they use a mini slit pipe. This kind of pipe didn’t allow sand to get into the slits but allowed water, meaning they could bury the pipe using sand instead of stone.

I think all golf courses should jump aboard this idea when it comes to installing bunkers. This means they can enjoy a pure sand bunker instead of a stone/sand mix. It amazes me that having a pipe with smaller slits can make the difference between having a clean bunker and stone filled bunker. I find it interesting how you can apply this idea to anything in life. Sometimes a minor adjustment can make all the difference in the world.

pipe goes in, then sand on top, nothing to worry about