All Politics Are Local

There is no doubt that within the next five years British Columbia will have new pesticide legislation.  The NDP has introduced Bill M 203 before the legislature.  Liberal Premier Christy Clark has indicated she supports a cosmetic pesticide ban.   A crystal ball is not needed to see that changes are coming. 

I was thinking about changes to BC pesticide legislation as I was attending our Kootenay Chapter meeting of the British Columbia Golf Course Superintendent’s Association (BCGSA).  This meeting was a joint meeting with the Western Canadian Turfgrass Association (WCTA).  It was also the WCTA Traveling Annual Road Show which provided members with a chance to earn continuing education credits for  pesticide licenses and to meet with fellow turf managers.  Amanda Brown, a Regional Pesticide Officer from the Pesticide Management Regulatory Association (PMRA), spoke to the chapter about the PMRA’s evaluation process for pesticides and how the PMRA enforce their rules.

Jerry Rousseau WCTA Exec Director and Amanda Brown PMRA speak to BCGSA Kootenay Chapter

The discussion of pesticide issues was a prolific topic during the meeting and during the question and answer period with Amanda.   The fact that the Regional District of East Kootenay (RDEK) had written a letter of support regarding Bill M 203 was also a source of frustration for all local superintendents.   It was surprising to many members that the RDEK would support legislation that would severely impact the business of golf and the spin-offs that the golf industry provides.   The proposed legislation that the RDEK supports would only allow pesticide usage on putting greens for five year. 

As the discussion about pesticide related issues went on I was asking myself questions.  Why would a local government support such legislation?  Have I done enough to put forward my side of the issue?

Solstice and the Snow is Gone!

Two things that are linked - the weather and golf course superintendents.   As a superintendent I am always watching the weather on the course, looking at the forecast for the day and the week, and checking the weather history for each day, month, and year.  Can our team apply a liquid fertility application or is it going to rain?  Do we have enough heat to dry topdressing sand?   How is the temperature affecting our growing conditions?

There is no doubt this spring has been a challenge for all superintendents in our region--late snow melt, not a lot of heat and plenty of rain.  I am hoping the summer solstice signals an improvement in the weather.   It is difficult to grow grass without sunlight and heat.   A quick look back at the spring shows some of the weather challenges we have had in the last few months.  These include:

·         A mean temperature of 9.8 for the month of June.

·         A mean temperature of -.7 for the year.  (I will try to post when the average moves above 0 for the 2011 but we are now halfway through the year and we still have a mean temperature below 0)

·          Only four days in 2011 with a day time high over 20 degrees.  (This includes the summer solstice which was 21.1)

·         22 days with measurable rain since we opened 35 days ago.

·         June 14^th was the date our last snow pile left the golf course.  I must admit this was a large pile from clearing greens but we have had snow on the golf course 10 days ago.  I believe it would have been with us until July but the rain has helped eliminate it.

·         A 45 minute frost delay today.

Snow On Third Hole - We Borrowed A Sign from the Ski Hill

Is the Bubble About to Burst?

Last Thursday we were notified of a “problem” by golfers on the 14^th fairway.  When we got to the area we discovered the largest turf blisters or bubble I have seen in my career.  The bubble was caused by an irrigation break on the fairway pipe loop.  The break was the result of a compression coupler that failed.  These types of repair fittings often fail and are no longer used by our staff due to their high failure rate.  The break has been repaired and most of the turf on the fairway has returned to normal.  We will roll the sod that is uneven early this week.

Irrigation Break and Blister on #14 Fairway - Scott and Andrew at Break Location

Blister Profile - at least 18" High

Scott Standing on Blister

The problem fitting

Yes the bubble did burst.  But not by natural causes.

A Time to Sow. A Time to Reap

Working outside, watching things grow - whether it is the grass on the golf course or the people that I work with are a few of the benefits of being a golf course superintendent.  For many superintendents there are other benefits.  Being able to take your dog to work is a hidden benefit.  For the past nine year I have fully reaped those benefits.

But as superintendents we also deal with the laws of nature - biology, chemistry and physics.  Superintendents challenge nature but we understand that nature always wins.   We understand that everything has its time.   There is a time to sow - There is a time to reap.

For me, May 21^st was one of those days.  The forces of nature caught up to my dog and best friend Mickey.     

He was three weeks short of 15 years old and led a long life.  He had been with me for nine years and had three owners.  All of whom loved and cared for him deeply, none more so than myself.   I was introduced to him at the Pinebrook Golf and Country Club by Tania and her family.  The decision to take Mickey took seconds when Tania asked if I wanted him.   He moved to the Golden Golf and Country Club with me in 2003, where he began the life as a golf course dog.  He went to work with me every day and was often there when I was not in attendance.   He moved with me to Greywolf in 2007.   He was the only sticking point when I took the job at Greywolf.   We were a package deal and I would not have left Golden if he could not join me on the course at Greywolf.   I thank Peter for hiring us and my fellow managers and the owners for accepting us. 

Mickey was always by my side whether riding in my cart, in the Snowcat, or just walking around and inspecting the golf course.  He was trained not to walk on the greens, tees, fairways or in the bunkers.  Not for any particular reason.  He was just that smart.  His life can be summarized by chasing thousands of balls and fetching millions of sticks.  He chased every wild animal we met.  Deer, elk, moose, bears, skunks, and squirrels.  He lost all three encounters with the skunks.   When he came across a porcupine while hiking Mt. Gorman, he knew enough to stay away.  I thank him for that.  The encounters with the skunks are also forgiven.   Squirrels were his nemesis.  He stopped 100% of the deadly squirrel attacks that we encountered.  He was the toughest dog in the world if he could see the ass of whatever he was chasing.  If he could see the teeth of the challenger, his courage quickly faded. 

Members and guest knew his name better than my own.  I do not blame them – he was smarter, better looking, and better behaved.  I will now be known as the guy, rather than the guy with the dog by many guests.

He has been through every aspect of a superintendent’s life and my life.  He has been a part of nine golf course crews.  He stopped one burglary.  He was older than nearly all of my nieces and nephews.  He has seen friends and family move on and depart.  He has attended staff functions and seen the tough days of a superintendent---greens dying, staff leaving, and the never ending challenges of mother-nature.  At the end of those days all he wanted was a tennis ball.  In 2009 he broke his leg and I carried him up and down stairs for a month as he healed.  I would have done it for longer if needed. 

Mickey saw the morning fog part on the golf course and the sun rise over Mt. Paradise.  He saw the view of a thousand peaks at the top of Panorama and sat with me when as the fire went out and the sun set over the peaks of Monument mountain.   Good times and bad he has been by my side.         

On Saturday May 21^st we went for one last trip around the golf course.  At the end of the work day he told me it was time.  The cancer had advanced too far.  He gave me six months I did not know we had.   With the help of our vet, I put Mickey down.  It was quick, painless, and humane.  It was also very difficult.  When he returns from the crematorium he will move to his final resting place on the golf course.  He will always be a part of the golf course.

To all those who have been part of his life and helped me look after him I thank you.

To all the friends, staff, members and guests who have written me notes and stopped me to offer there condolences - thank you.   

I look for him daily.  I am inexplicably thankful for having him in my life and I miss him.

The forces of nature stop for no one.

There is a time to sow.  There is a time to reap.

16 Hours Till Opening

Wooosh!

Whooosh - the sound of the fastest tarp removal crew in the world?  I think our crew is great, but the fastest in the world is a big moniker.   Wooosh is actually the sound made by the tarp when a giant wind gust blew in while removing the tarp form #11 green.

The following two video clips are time lapse photos taken every five seconds and strung together to make two quick video clips.   They were taken on our practice green yesterday and the 11^th green today.

If you watch the video clips closely, you can see us remove the nails securing the tarp.  We then flip the tarp to clean off any remaining sand or debris.  We fold the tarp, roll it up, and then do the same to all the bubble wrap under the tarp.  The sensors and air ducting are then removed.  We sweep the green for debris and nails.  Then we follow the tarp removal with a mow.

When we got to the 11^th green the wind was gusting and the crew was questioning if we should remove the tarp.   I decided we could handle the challenge.  As we started to flip the tarp to clean it, you can see it took off on us.  Luckily the crew reacted quickly and we held it down.  The next time we are debating the removal of the tarp in the wind, I am going to listen to the crew!

Will try to learn how to make vidoe clips bigger.

A Different Twist on KP

We came up with a twist on the standard closest to the hole competition.  The crew was excited and happy with the results on the turf after we removed the tarp from #13 green - a notoriously troublesome green.  Green was in such good shape, we gave it a mow at a very high height of cut (H.O.C.) - .25”.  We did not want to remove too much leaf blade at one time. 

In the video the green looks a little off color near the cup.  It is a little distorted from the camera phone and the area is not growing as fast as it was the last portion of the green to clear of snow and is very shaded.

One final note – Andrew, intern from Olds College, did end up winning the competition.  In celebration he made a bold move at the end of the video by stuffing a snowball down the Assistant Superintendents jacket.  We have been joking with Andrew that it could be a long summer for him!

Good to be out on the turf.