greenside magazine | December 20101

The Official Magazine of the GCSAI l www.gcsai.org l December 2010

Greenside

Also in This Issue

l The Irish Abroad l Tractor Tyre Profile l Course Feature - Hilton Templepatrick l Irish Grenkeeping Awards l Regional Reports l Trade News l The Wonder of Sand Dunes

is There a war breaking out on your turf?

GCsAi & GCsAA sign Agreement

The Presidents Cup

Nematodes - The Enemy!

All the Action from Dromoland Castle

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Greenside

greenside magazine | December 20103

Greenside

Contents

Irish Greenkeeping Awards 8

Nature on the Golf Course 10

The Irish Abroad 12

GCSAI/GCSAA Agreement 16

The Wonder of Sand Dunes 18

The Wheel Deal 20

Nematodes 24

Course Feature – Hilton Templepatrick 30

Regional Round up 36

Presidents Cup 43

GCSAI Charity Day 49

Trade News 54

Hampering Freedom of ExpressionYou have just got over the shock of finding out how much your earnings have been reduced as a result of the Irish government’s budget. Not only are your personal finances not as good as they used to be, but the club for whom you work, is feeling the financial strain as well - their customers will probably not be dipping into their pockets as much as they used to. This will impact on the amount budgeted for maintaining your course or sports pitch. Because Course Superintendents and Head Groundsmen take pride in their work, I do worry about the effect of the budget on their morale amongst these people around the country, as they are trying very hard to maintain their course to a standard that is acceptable to their club, but, more importantly, to a standard that is acceptable to themselves. I see greenkeepers and groundsmen as artists - some are good but many more have exceptional talents. The course or sports ground where they work is their canvas whereby they can show case their artistic skills to the world, provided the resources are made available to them. Ask any serious groundsman “What means more to you - pride of work or how much money you can earn?” Like many artists, their answer will always be the former. Many groundsmen feel frustrated that they cannot be as creative as they used to be, when times were good, but others are also feeling the mental strain of being pressurised by their club, despite the shortfall in maintenance budgets, to maintain the same. How can you say to a painter “I want you to paint me a beautiful picture full of wonderful colours and tones. I will supply you with all the necessary items that you need - except green paint - my budget doesn’t stretch that far.” A tall order for an artist.

REMINDERThe deadline for

receiving advertising and editorial is

January 21st 2011

The views expressed in contributed articles are not necessarily the views

expressed by the editor of this publication. Editorial content and photographs

cannot be reproduced without prior permission from the editor.

Back issues of Greenside can now be seen on the GCSAI website:

www.gcsai.org

Front cover photo by Alan Mahon

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News

Dates for your Diary

Rush Christmas Outing - December 17Yes it’s this time of year again and as you read this snippet, Eddie Donlon is busy hanging the Christmas decorations, getting ready for the annual Rush Christmas outing. It takes place on Dec 17th with a shotgun start at 11am. The time sheet opens from 8th to 14th December so you need to hurry as only the first 44 names booked get to play. Contact Eddie on 087 2908199 between 1pm and 1.30pm.

Harrogate Week - January 18 - 20, 2011

This takes place from January 18 - 20, 2011 at the Harrogate International Centre, North Yorkshire. Discover what’s new in an ever changing, growing market. If your business is in Turf Management, the Groundscare Industry or Club Facility Manmagement then make it your business to attend Harrogate Week. With innovative product ideas it is your best opportunity to meet all the players in the groundscare industry under one roof.For general enquiries tel. 00441347 833830 or log onto www.harrogateweek.org.uk

GCSAA Show - February 7 - 11, 2011Stamp your Passport to Profitability with the information and innovations you will only find at the 2011 GCSAA Education Conference and the Golf Industry Show in Orlando, Florida, USA. This event, which takes place from 7 - 11 February 2011, is just the beginning of your journey, as you will return home with a wealth of knowledge that will put you well ahead of the competition. Attending the conference and show places you at the forefront of what is happening in the global golf community and provides you with the tips and tools necessary to make the greatest positive impact on your bottom line. When you make plans to attend the 2011 GCSAA Education Conference and the Golf Industry Show, you are setting the course for:• Seminars that provide timely and comprehensive industry information• The chance to interact with experts in your field• Innovative products that cut maintenance costs• Unparalleled product discounts on the show floor• Opportunities for onsite equipment and product comparisons• Sessions that offer solutions to your biggest agronomic and business challenges

Set your course for success in the golf course management industry - find out more at www.gcsaa.org/conference.

GCSAI Annual Conference & Sportsturf Ireland - 2, 3 March 2011The GCSAI are delighted to launch Sportsturf Ireland. This event will include the established GCSAI conference, expanded to include a trade exhibition. Sportsturf Ireland 2011 will be held in Knightsbrook, Trim Co. Meath on 2nd and 3rd of March 2011. This event will be a show case for all involved in the Sportsturf industry. There will be educational seminars delivered by international and Irish speakers, including Professor James B Beard. There will be demonstrations and a trade exhibition featuring all the top brands in the industry. Booking forms will be sent out in the next few weeks. For more information contact Maria Behan at maria.behan@calibresupport.ie or phone her on 087 7917789

Knightsbrook Hotel and Golf Club

greenside magazine | December 20105

Education Report

As I write this article, plans for the organisation of the conference/trade show, which will take place in March, in Knightsbrook Golf Hotel and Country Club, are well under way. A lot of hard work by your executive committee has culminated in what will eventually be known as the Golf Industry Show, and the only one that will be dedicated to fine turf managers in Ireland. The renowned Dr James B. Beard, among many others, will be giving talks, and there will be a full ‘trade show’ floor, in order to visit the many suppliers to our industry. It promises to be a great show, so make sure that you attend. Watch out for more details on our website www.gcsai.orgTwo motivational days, aimed at deputy superintendents and young greenkeepers, will have taken place, by the time that you read this, so a full report will be in the next issue of Greenside.

Barenbrug/STRI seed trial Open Day was held in Druids Glen GC on the 16th September, with a superb turnout of GCSAI superintendents and non affiliated groundsmen.

The Irish Links Initiative held an annual ‘get together’ in Lahinch Golf Club on the 13th October, and by all accounts, it was well supported. Lahinch Club Captain, Eugene Gilligan, welcomed the delegates and outlined the agenda for the day. The group was split into three groups before setting out to view the three work stations set up on the links. All in all it proved to be a great success with the links Superintendents. Congratulations to all involved.

On the 8th November last I had the privilege of attending the National Botanic Gardens, where the current crop of budding Greenkeepers had their graduation ceremony. I was in attendance to present the Student of the Year trophy, which was won by Patrick O’Byrne from the Island Golf Club. Congratulations to Patrick and I wish him every success in his career.If you would like to contact me please do so: Tel: 086 2627839; 01 2065136Email bobandmart@eircom.net or fgcsuperintendent@eircom.net

BobbyMcDermott

FoxrockGolf Club

Patrick O’Byrne (centre) receives his Student of the Year presentation from Harold Lawlor and Robert McDermott

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News

IISS launches Club Playing Surface of the Year Awards in association with Leinster GAA and Barenbrug

The Playing Surface of the Year Awards have been created in association with the Leinster Council of the GAA and specialist grass seed breeder Barenbrug by the IISS, a newly-formed body dedicated to promoting and implementing the professional development

For anyone already thinking about what to buy their loved ones for Christmas, here’s the perfect gift for all John Deere fans, young and old alike - the first ever John Deere Chocolate Advent Calendar. This is a gift that’s sure to cause lots of excitement all the way through December, with 24 windows revealing yummy chocolates in different Christmas shapes. The calendar can be ordered now, with limited availability while stocks last, from participating John Deere dealers - at less than £4 (or its euro equivalent), save any arguments over whose turn it is to open the windows, and order one each for the whole family! A host of gift ideas for Christmas and other special occasions can be found in the latest John Deere Collection catalogue. Free copies are available now from your local John Deere dealer, or visit www.johndeere.co.uk

of people who maintain and manage sports surfaces in Ireland. Says IISS managing director Donal Kearney of the scheme: “The Club Playing Surface of the Year Awards have been created to highlight the hard work of the GAA

BIGGA’s Chief Executive to Leave

The BIGGA Board is sad to announce that after 17 years of service its Chief Executive, John Pemberton, has given notice of his intention to move on. John

first joined the Association in March 1993 as its Accountant, moving up to take the reins as Chief Executive in March 2004. “The BIGGA Board of Directors wishes to thank John for his leadership and dedication to the job over the years which has resulted in BIGGA significantly increasing in size, profile and industry positioning” comments Chairman, Paul Worster. John will continue in his current position until the end of April 2011 and will be helping the Board with the recruitment of a suitable successor.

volunteers whose dedication and endeavours have long gone unnoticed - until now. We hope that the awards will encourage others to get involved in the maintenance of GAA surfaces and raise standards of sports turf care even higher. Our thanks to the Leinster Council of the GAA and Barenbrug for their support.” Seamus Howlin, chairman of the Leinster Council of the GAA, adds: “All our players begin their sporting careers with their local club - the heart and soul of the GAA. Good playing conditions are essential for the development of players’ skills and their enjoyment of the game, hence anything that encourages and promotes the development of our pitches is to be supported. Leinster GAA is happy to be associated with the awards - we wish the IISS the very best with the project and also welcome Barenbrug’s involvement.” Neil Pettican, Barenbrug area manager for Ireland, concludes: “I’m delighted Barenbrug is supporting this important initiative. Ireland is a key market for us and we’re looking forward to helping improve standards further by raising awareness of the importance of correct grass seed selection in achieving quality surfaces. Best of luck to everyone entering.”

The Irish Institute of Sports Surfaces (IISS) has unveiled a new awards scheme to recognise and reward the high standards of groundsmanship achieved by

Ireland’s volunteer GAA groundsmen.

Celebrating the creation of the new Playing Surface of the Year Awards are, from left, Donal Kearney (IISS), Seamus Howlin (Chairman Leinster Council GAA), Terence McShea (IISS).

A Christmas treat

John Pemberton

greenside magazine | December 20107

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Greenside

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Irish Greenkeeping Awards

The three graduates were Michael Coleman from Faithlegg Golf Club, David Grehan from Castle Golf Club and Fergal McDermott of Farnham Estate Golf Club. Colm Dockrell of Teagasc was also in attendence to see his students receive their awards. Dr. Mary Meaney, President of ITB said that this was a very special day for all the students and their families, a day that they will remember for the rest of their lives. However she added that it was a major concern of hers that student fees may be increased in this year’s budget, which, she said, would be detrimental to the future of student higher education. Dr. Meaney suggested that instead of students paying fees, they could, pay back the cost of their education when they get employment on the basis of their qualifications. This could be a form of education tax. This would be a fairer and more affordable way of contributing towards their education. She also suggested that, as an incentive to kick starting the economy, those who qualified and went on to start their own business in Ireland would be exempt from paying this tax as they would be creating employment, which in itself would be bringing money back into the economy.

On 8th November the twenty nine FETAC Level 6 greenkeeping students received their Advanced Certificates in Greenkeeping at an award ceremony at the National Botanic Gardens. Pat O’Dwyer from the Greenkeeping Trainining Committte with

NFQ Level 7 students (Bachelor of Science in Horticulture) received their degrees at the Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (ITB) on 5th November last, after three years of intensive study. The sixty

six successful students, three of whom were from the greenkeeping profession, were presented their awards by Harold Lawlor, Principal, College of Amenity Horticulture, National Botanic Gardens.

the GUI commended the students on their achievement and said that their qualification will be a significant advantage to them when it comes to finding employment in the future. “Potential employers will always prefer qualified people over those who are

FETAC level 6 students received their greenkeeping certificates at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin.

Colm Dockrell (Teagasc), David Grehan (Castle Golf Club), Fergal McDermott (Farnham Estate), Michael Coleman (Faithlegg Golf Club), Harold Lawlor (Principal, Botanic Gardens).

greenside magazine | December 20109

News

2010 FETAC Advanced Certificate in Greenkeeping Level 6 Students

Dean Brock

Liam Byrne

Kevin Canavan

Eamonn Carstairs

Thomas J Clarke

Eoin Collins

Lucas Damrow

Dean Donoghue

William Doyle

Stephen Druhan

Ciaran Dunne

Stephen Dunne

Peter Harrison

Derek Hughes

Michael McCabe

Damien McCartan

Philip McGeady

Keith Murray

James Newe

Patrick O Byrne

James O Connor

Darren O Reilly

Daragh O Sullivan

Paudie O Sullivan

Alan Reilly

Eugene Riddell

Tom Twardowski

Aidan Walshe

Aidrean Wilmot

not” he said. He also pointed out that proper communication and clear instructions are important in the workplace. . Pat Suttle of Teagasc also added his congratulations to the students and gave them hope and encouragement by saying that, despite the economic recession, good times will come. “Do not feel too disheartened. If we all work together, the situation will improve. You only have to look back to 1987 when we were in the same situation and by 1992 Ireland was at the start of an economic boom.” The Student of the Year Award given to Patrick O’Byrne of The Island Golf Club and both Harold Lawlor, Principal, College of Amenity Horticulture, Botanic Gardens and Robert McDermott, Education Officer with the GCSAI, gave presentations to Patrick.

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Nature on the Golf Course

The Irish hare, (Lepus timidus hibernicus) is a sub-species of the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) and only occurs in Ireland. Male animals are referred to as jacks, females as does. Having arrived in these parts as the ice sheets meltedaround10,000 years ago, Irish hares developed differences to other mountain hare populations, which have a broad circumpolar distribution. The most striking difference is that generally the coat of the Irish hare does not go totally white in winter. Irish hares have only two moults a year rather than three, and generally stay brown through the winter months, though they may become pale, or develop white patches. The tail is often noted as being all white, but there are exceptions. Irish hares are different to other Lagomorphs (hares and rabbits) in Ireland as unlike brown hares (Lepus europaeus) and rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), they were not introduced by man.

DescriptionThe Irish hare is a medium sized plant-eater (herbivore), measuring up to 50cms long, and weighing between 2.5 - 4 kg. It has a russet brown coat, long ears with black tips and eyes set high in the head which give it a wide field of view. The animal has long powerful back legs, longer than the fore legs, and Irish hares may reach speeds of up to 30mph and can jump heights of around 2m. Speed is the main means of escape, rather than going to cover. The animals are generally quiet, but may scream or growl.

Environment & General EcologyIrish hares feed mainly on a variety of grasses, but, depending on the habitat, sedges, shrubs such as heather, thyme and bilberry

and even shoots from certain trees may play an important part in their diet. Hares will also venture on to the foreshore to feed on sea lettuce and other sea weeds. They feed mostly at night resting during daylight hours in a scraped, or nibbled hollow or “form”, although there are records of hares using rabbit burrows, crevices in rock and other shelters for refuge or lie-up sites. Suitable habitat is vital for the survival of the Irish hare, as not only do they require a supply of different grasses and plants to eat, but also plenty of cover, for example rushes and heather. Freedom from disturbance also appears to be critical and hares are rarely found near houses or built-up areas.

BreedingCourtship and mating take place from late winter through to early summer with the characteristic “mad”, chasing, leaping and boxing behaviour being an aspect of challenges between males, and also between males and females with the does rebuffing the advances of the jacks. There can be up to three litters of 1 - 4 young (leverets) a year but mortality is high with up to three quarters of the leverets being lost during the first year. Young are hidden by the does and disperse after one week but will return to this early hiding place for up to 3 weeks for further nursing until they are weaned. The maximum life expectancy of the Irish hare is 9 years. Hares are social animals with groups being generally between 2 and 9. Larger groups may be seen, especially during the breeding season in suitable habitat. Herds of well over a hundred hares have been recorded in the past from certain sites. Apart from man and dog, there are a range of predators that have an impact on Irish hare populations principally the fox, but also badger, pine marten, stoat,

The Irish Hare

greenside magazine | December 201011

Nature on the Golf Course

cat, buzzard, hooded crow, magpie, long-eared owl and at one time golden eagle.

Habitats and DistributionThe Irish hare is found from seashore to hill-top, mainly in open country, in many habitats including:• Unimproved and semi-improved pasture, expanding into areas

of intensive farmland• Upland habitats including heather dominated heaths and bogs • Coastal habitats including dunes, coastal stripes and seashore • Golf courses • Air fields

Recent research suggests that it may be the variety of grasses within the hare s diet that limit its distribution. Hares seem to avoid areas of improved grassland dominated by rye grass species though there are certainly other factors contributing to this absence, such as distribution and lack of cover. All of these factors suggest that changes in farming methods and management of the farmed landscape may have an important part to play in both the decline and the future conservation of this species.

PopulationHistorically the Irish hare was once widespread and common throughout Ireland. However there is a growing concern that populations are thought to have gone through a substantial decline over the past 10 - 20 years.

Recent surveys commissioned by EHS have shown that the population of Irish Hares in Northern Ireland has fluctuated between 14,000 and 72,000, the most recent estimate is 43,700. It is intended to continue monitoring the population at regular intervals.

ThreatsHabitat changes• Loss of cover (e.g. rushes) and refuge areas (e.g. hedgerows)• Conversion from species rich grasslands to ryegrass and clover

mixes• Increased disturbance especially from high stocking densities

and farm machinery• Direct grazing competition on hill areas (with sheep)• Habitat fragmentationIncreased mechanisation disturbs hares and increases mortality especially among leverets at time of grass cutting/harvest.Increased levels of predation particularly from foxes, crows and magpies especially affecting leverets.Over-hunting due to illegal coursing and lamping.Increased mortality on roads due to increase in traffic volume and speed.

© EHSNI

For further information contact:EHS Education OfficerCommonwealth House35 Castle StreetBelfast BT1 1GU Tel: (048) 9054 6533www.ehsni.gov.uk/education/factsheets.shtml

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Feature

In 2005 two friends and I decided to get a working holiday visa and go to Australia to experience the culture and sights. There was plenty of work for me as a landscaper, but I decided to venture out of the cities and look into working on farms. I acquired a job just two hours north of Perth with an Agricultural contractor. This was a great experience because I got to operate top of the range machinery along with living the life of a true Aussie bloke, in the outback. I ended up living in Australia for two years. While waiting for the second visa to come I returned home for a while. As I didn’t really want to return to landscaping I decided to look into turfgrass management. I had heard that St. Helens

Bay Golf Resort, in my home county of Wexford, had recently

appointed a new superintendent Kevin Carroll, so I decided to pay him a visit. Kevin showed interest immediately when he saw I had a Diploma in Horticulture and 3 years landscaping experience, so I started in March of 2006. When the season was finished in October I returned to Australia and back to my old job as a machinery operator.

The second year in Australia went by really quick and before I knew it I was home again. While waiting to start work at St. Helens Bay, I attended Sportsturf Ireland in the RDS, where I met Wayne Roberts of Elmwood College in Scotland. I asked him about the National Certificate in Greenkeeping which they offer every year starting in September. It sounded like it was right up my alley so I decided to enrol. In the meantime I returned to St Helens Bay to work for a second season, until I started at Elmwood in September 2008. When I completed my NC in greenkeeping I returned to St. Helens Bay in April 2009 for a 3rd season. I had been in contact with Mike O’Keeffe of the Ohio State University programme, while at Elmwood, so before the season had finished at St Helens Bay I decided to sign up for the programme. Mike got me a placement at Harbour Town

The Irish AbroadSince 2005 my travels have brought me as far as Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and more recently America, where I took part in the Ohio State Internship Programme where I got a

placement on Harbourtown Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

By Declan O’Hagan

greenside magazine | December 201013

Feature

Golf Links, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina which would start in the middle of September. Harbour Town Golf Links was founded in 1969. The architects involved were the much acclaimed and well respected Pete Dye and the very successful golfer Jack Nicklaus. The course had to be open for its first tournament in April 1969 which only gave the crew eleven months to construct it. In 2000 the course got a total revamp from tees to greens to bunkers, even the drainage and irrigation system was upgraded. Harbour Town is a par 71 reaching 6973 yards, and every hole is a challenge in itself. The course is well known on the PGA tour which has been coming to town since 1969. Its postage stamp greens and narrow fairways are just a few of the challenges which the professionals have to face. The superintendent of Harbour Town is Jonathan

H Wright. John (as we know him) has many years of experience in the turfgrass industry. John took over the role of superintendant in early 2009, when Gary T Snyder semi retired, and is now working as an adviser for Seapines who are the owners of Harbour Town, Ocean Golf Course and Heron Golf Course. Working for John was a great experience. When I first met him he said “if there’s anything you would like to learn about, just let me know, and I’ll put you on it”. It was great to know I had a boss who was always willing to teach new methods and skills. John had a staff of about twenty, five of whom were interns; Ryan Dehlinger and Doug Burdick, Johns assistants and the rest were split between full timers and temps and of course one mechanic, Dave who kept the place running smoothly. As a new intern I was shown how to do setup, Harbourtown style. It was much

different to what I was used to back home. It took the whole morning and had to be done to perfection. Tees were moved every day, signs, bins and rake positions were checked and most importantly pins were moved and calculated using a pin sheet. Other morning jobs included mowing greens, tees and approaches with hand mowers; raking bunkers; blowing paths and fairways for leaves and debris; rolling greens and spraying greens if needed. I was lucky enough to arrive just before the transition period from warm season to cool season grass, called “overseeding”. We overseeded the Bermuda Tiff sport greens with Poa trivialis at 12lbs/1000ft2, which was followed by topdressing and a liquid fertiliser. The tees, fairways, approaches and banks were overseeded with Paragon ryegrass at 400 to 500lbs/acre. The interns were given the responsibility of doing all the overseeding,

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Feature

which was done with broadcast spreaders. It was a lot of walking but well worth it in the end. John decided to hire in a sub contractor to do the fairways but you could see the difference between the manual work and the machine work. When the seed struck you could see that the seed spread with the broadcast spreaders was much more even than that spread by machine. As the tournament was creeping up on us

quickly we had to get the place in tip top condition. The weather was against us for most of the winter, it was the coldest one in many years and it knocked back progress a great deal. But as soon as the weather turned it was all hands on deck. We had lots to do and little time to do it. Bark mulch and pine straw had to be spread on the beds; bunkers had to be topped up and greens needed some TLC to get them firm, up to speed, and

looking good, i.e. top dressed, rolled and fertilizer applications. At Harbour Town we stripe tees, fairways, approaches and greens so they were all cut twice daily the week before the tournament to burn in the lines. I was lucky enough to get the chance to do some spraying while working at Harbour Town. I didn’t really spray greens till after the tournament but I did a lot of spraying on the rough, fairways and tees complexes. For the tournament we applied ammonium sulphate, nitrogen, iron and Primo. The course looked amazing when the tournament finally came around. All the hard work and long hours really paid off in the end. The atmosphere for tournament week was something which I have never experienced before. We were doing 14 to 16 hours daily but every minute of it was enjoyable. I think it was the adrenaline and the praise from players and spectators and, of course, the PGA staff and our own bosses that kept us going. My job for the tournament was course setup in the morning and hand watering greens in the afternoon. It was an honour to be doing course setup for a PGA tournament. I was over the front nine and Luke Roberts

(one of the other interns) was over the back nine. We had the PGA rules guys, the PGA agronomist and our own bosses following after us but we were the ones doing all the work and everything had to be 100%, from the new cup placement to the tidiness of the course. The hand watering was a really precise operation. We had a moisture metre each and we could only water the areas that were below 25% but not too much because they wanted to keep the greens firm. We didn’t get time off during the day because we had to be on standby to blow off greens because the seed pods were falling from the trees onto the greens. We didn’t really mind this because we got to look at golf for free, and every so often a spectator would come and tell us how great the place looked. When the tournament was over there was a great sense of achievement, but at the time it was a bit sad to see all the crowds gone and the bleachers being taken down. Jim Furyk won it in the end by beating Brian Davis in a playoff. Davis called a penalty on himself when he made contact with loose impediment on a greenside hazard on the 18th.

greenside magazine | December 201015

Feature

After the tournament we were back to our normal routine for a while, before we started our Aerification programme. This was done twice in the year, once in June with 5/8 inch tines spaced at 1 _ inches on greens and again in August with 1/2inch tines. For this we closed the course for a week each time because we aerify everything from Tees to Green, also known as wall to wall. We got in contractors to do the tees and fairways and we did greens, approaches, banks and rough ourselves. We also got contractors in to do drainage work on some of the fairways. It was good to be involved in this because I had never seen drainage done before. Since I started at Harbour Town I had done a good bit of irrigation work, so the knowledge that I gained paid off, because the drainage guys ended up hitting a few pipes and some heads were hit while aerifying so I got to repair the damage. John also relies on his interns to solve most of the irrigation problems around the course. We learn the tricks of the trade from older interns so it gives us a chance to pass the skills on when the time comes. The social life while I was in America was great. There was always something to do or something to see. I bought a car straight away when I moved out there so I was able to move about pretty easily. As we got free golf we tried to get out as much as we could, even though I’m not the best golfer it was still great

fun to go out for a round. One of the workers on Harbour Town, Ben Frazer invited us to plenty of cook outs (barbecue’s) at his house which was a great way to experience the local culture. We had Irish bars on the island but the only one we really went to was Murphy’s. Paul the proprietor was actually from New Ross so he was an expert at pulling pints of Guinness. I decided to take a road trip down to Daytona for a weekend where I ended up taking a passenger ride experience in a NASCAR for 3 laps. 160 mph was an amazing

experience and one which is going to stick with me for a long time. In all I could not have asked for a better year or a better placement. John Wright and Harbour Town treated me very well. I learned a great deal in the year I was there, I gained great experience in spraying, irrigation, drainage even hand mowing and rolling greens. I even got a chance to volunteer for the Quail Hollow Championship in Charlotte, North Carolina where I cut and dew whipped fairways. The tournament had over 100 volunteers plus their own staff of twenty-five odd. The detail that went into getting the course prepared was unbelievable. It doesn’t end there though, due to the recession in Ireland, along with the time of year, I would be returning, it was proving very difficult to find a job. I decided to look into doing a season in New Zealand and sure enough I landed a job at Kauri Cliffs up in the far north (bay of Islands). Kauri Cliffs is a Par 72 championship course measuring 7119 yards. I would like to thank John Wright and all his staff, especially old Buddy Ben for making the year a great experience, which really opened my eyes to what can be achieved when you put in some hard work and effort. If anyone has any questions about America or New Zealand my e-mail is deco_eco@yahoo.ie

“We learn the tricks of the trade from older interns so it gives us a chance to pass the skills on when the time comes.”

Cooper Golf Advert 1/4Land/Port?

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News

GCSAA and GCSAI Announce Signing of Relationship

Development Agreement

We have used all available platforms to highlight our educational and career development programmes for those people involved in the Irish golf turf industry, and this has helped enormously in creating a great respect worldwide for the Irish Superintendent. The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) has for many years shown great enthusiasm for the endeavours of the GCSAI and in the past few years the

By Paddy Holohan Public Relations Officer GCSAI

GCSAI and the GCSAA have realised that the challenges facing Superintendents/Greenkeepers are fundamentally the same on both sides of the Atlantic, and can be best met with closer co-operation between the two Associations. This desire to work closer together became a reality during the Ryder Cup this year, when representatives from both Associations met and signed a cooperation agreement at Cardiff Golf Club.

Signing the GCSAI/GCSAA agreement. Back row left: Mark Kuhns (GCSAA), Sandy Queen (GCSAA), Robert McDermott (GCSAI). Front left: Bob Randquist (GCSAA), Michael Loughran (GCSAI), Jim Fitzroy (GCSAA), Paddy Holohan (GCSAI)

The aim of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of Ireland has been to promote the profile of the members of the golf course profession

both in Ireland and on the international stage.

greenside magazine | December 201017

News

GCSAI President Michael Loughran makes a presentation to GCSAA President Jim Fitzroy

Looking to the future

The representatives from the GCSAI were:• Micheal Loughran -President • Bobby McDermott - Educational Officer• Paddy Holohan - Public Relatations OfficerThe GCSAA was represented by:• Jim Fitzroy - President• Bob Randquist - Vice President• Sandy Queen - Secretary/Treasurer• Mark Kuhns - Immediate Past President

The agreement was signed by both Presidents and afterwards both parties competed in a traditional Ryder Cup type match. The aim of the strategic agreement between the GCSAI and the GCSAA is to advance their missions and promote goodwill and co-operation between the Associations. The aims are:

• Enhance the image and professional status of golf course superintendents.

• Strengthen the relationship between the two organisations.• Promote services and programmes in accordance with acceptable

standards of each organisation.• Collaborate to support activities and programmes to benefit

members and the superintendent profession.• Share information and knowledge to further advance the golf

course superintendent profession• Promote opportunities for GCSAI and GCSAA to learn from each

other and expand value to their respective memberships.

Opportunities for successful collaboration exist in areas such as:

• Annual education conferences and trade shows• Support from industry vendors, sponsors and partners• Professional development and education• Commitment to sustainability• Members products, services and information

We are very excited about this development and feel that the opportunities arising from this agreement will have tremendous benefits for our members. We will now have the opportunity to avail of the expertise of the worlds largest Superintendents association has, and use it in the development of the GCSAI to best meet the needs of its members It will also give each individual GCSAI member access to the member’s area of the GCSAA web site, avail of web casts, join educational courses at reduced rates, and also be completely up to date with what is happening in their industry internationally. It will give GCSAI members the chance to interact with GCSAA members on a one to one basis. The potential opportunities for all members interested in promoting their profession is great, and is there to be availed of by one and all. This, I believe, to be a very good development for the GCSAI and in these challenging times it will help greatly in assisting the Golf Course Superintends Association of Ireland to best represent its members.

www.gcsai.org 18

Greenside

The Wonder of Sand Dunes

There is an element of both space and time such that the system is seen to change spatially and temporally, progressing toward the climax community. The

oldest dunes in a system which is accreting, i.e. building outward, will be the furthest from the sea, having begun at the strand line and developed over time. There are many variables which control how quickly the dune system undergoes succession and what climax vegetation is reached. Climate, the grazing regime, hydrology, how the system is used by humans and geographical location all influence succession.

At the start of this ‘life-cycle’, sand dunes begin as embryo dunes which form where the wind transports sand up the beach and the sand encounters small obstacles and stacks up against their seaward side. These obstacles could be anything from shells and seaweed to rubbish such as plastic or food. This is why mechanical beach cleansing can be counter-productive in areas where dunes are accreting. The environment is naturally inhospitable being salty, dry and lacking nutrients. There are only a few species

which can successfully colonise here, Prickly Saltwort, Sea Rocket, Sand Couch and Lyme Grass among them. These form miniature dunes as the plant grows above the sand line and encourages more deposition. (Ballyness, Co. Donegal/Streedagh, Co.Sligo/Inch, Co.Kerry).

As the dunes grow upwards slowly, they are out of reach of all but the highest tides and are slightly more hospitable to other plants such as the major dune building grass Marram. These are no longer embryo dunes but mobile dunes or white/yellow dunes. There is much bare sand and movement in response to wind which in turn encourages further dune building processes. The Marram ameliorates growing conditions by adding

some organic matter which aids the water holding capacity of the substrate and allows other plants such as Sea Holly and Sea Spurge to colonise. If conditions remain stable here, mosses and other plants such as Sand Sedge, Red Fescue and Creeping Dewberry will fill in the gaps in the sand surface creating semi-fixed dunes. (The Raven, Co. Wexford/Drogheda, Co. Louth/associated with estuaries).

Further landward, conditions improve with more organic matter, less salt and some shelter from weather, however, relatively speaking the habitat is still stressful for vegetation. When vegetation covers most or all of the substrate the dunes are said to be fixed. This stage is often what conservation management seeks to maintain, a species rich grassland with many rare plants. In a way, this target community which is achieved by grazing and careful management, is like freezing the successional process and maintaining an ‘ideal’ community. This may seem unnatural but the nature of sand dune systems today means that scrub and woodland, including invasive species are prone to take over and preclude the most biodiverse stages of succession. Climate change gives a longer growing season, atmospheric nitrogen input artificially

A sand dune system is a fantastic example of the process of primary succession. Primary succession on Irish Dunes takes place on glacial material deposited on land and the continental shelf between 15,000

and 20,000 years ago. This was re-worked by river and wave action and dunes actually began forming around 6,000 years ago.

By Charlotte Durkin, Sand Dune & Shingle Network

Embryo dunes

greenside magazine | December 201019

Greenside

enriches the soil and invasive species out- compete niche-dwelling endangered plants such as the Bee Orchid, an endangered species on the Irish Red List. These changes promote the development of rank grasses and scrubland whose thick cover makes blow outs unlikely, diminishing the dynamic nature of the dunes. (Rossbehy, Co. Kerry/Tramore, Co. Waterford).

In the past, this dynamic nature would have allowed dunes to undergo periodic disturbances such as blow outs which arrest the succession to scrub. In their most natural state, dunes can support each distinct successional stage thus protecting biodiversity. The changes mentioned above, often induced by humans, mean that we are no longer dealing with a natural system, therefore efforts should be concentrated on keeping scrub at bay and creating fixed dune grassland, with a short sward, to preserve endangered species for the future, when conditions may be different.

In areas where the substrate is acidic or precipitation leaches base rich ions from the substrate, a community similar to heathland vegetation can develop at this stage which is known as dune heath. Despite efforts to eliminate scrub from various stages, it is of course also a natural stage and species such

Marram on mobile dunes.

Strand line colonisers.

Blowouts on fixed dunes

Marsh Helleborine

as Creeping Willow, Hawthorn and Dog Rose would be expected to appear where shelter and nutrients increase. The introduced Sea Buckthorn scrub is also common in this stage and at other stages can be a problem. At the most landward edge where the dunes are oldest, scrub develops into a mixed woodland including oak and birch which represent the climax vegetation - deciduous woodland.

Blow outs can develop in semi fixed or fixed dunes where vegetation cover has been lost or reduced allowing wind to once again scour the sand surface. Blow outs

are an entirely natural phenomenon in the succession process, often caused by grazing or extreme weather conditions. The sand dune system is capable of repairing these blow outs; vegetation such as Sand Sedge literally sews the surface up sending rhizomes and roots sideways under the surface. Human influence in the form of increased visitor movements, vehicles or tourism infrastructure can cause an excessive number of blow outs or reduce the system’s ability to self regulate and repair itself. (Inch, Co. Kerry/Ballyness, Co. Donegal).

Blow outs often scour the sand surface right down to the summer water table meaning wet dune valleys in between dune ridges appear during winter and spring and are referred to as dune slacks. Here, highly specialised vegetation develops, tolerant to water stress and lack of nutrients. Rare orchids such as Marsh Helleborine, also on the Irish Red List thrive here along with the natterjack toad but as with dune grassland, scrub invasion is a problem which can be managed through grazing, mowing and turf removal. (Ballymaclary and Magilligan, Co. Derry).

Text in bold after paragraphs denotes good sites for observing each particular successional stage.

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Greenside

According to turf tyre specialist Trelleborg, low ground pressure tyres were first developed in response to demand from Scandinavian forestry contrac-tors for a way of maintaining traction on their machines without damaging the surface root structure of the trees.

Tyres needed to withstand passing over ground littered with rocks and stumps without punctures causing downtime. Sound familiar? The tyre industry came up with designs of 600 and 700mm tread width, allowing lower inflation pressures to be used, with rounded shoulders to prevent surface damage and a tread pattern capable of transmitting the required power.

Today, the Scandinavian timber industry runs almost exclusively on this type of tyre

and its qualities have been appreciated by farmers and, more recently, turf managers.

Its benefits on turf are the ability to

travel in wetter conditions, and thus gain a longer working season without damaging the surface or creating ruts that alter its playability. However, there are other challenges for tyres used in modern turfcare - the need to travel at higher speeds on hard roads, and to carry increased loads as tractors and implements get larger.

The soft rubber compounds, which were developed to tread gently on the non-abrasive grass surfaces, may not be tough enough for the job, and manufacturers are increasingly turning to more wear resistant materials.

Over the last ten years, the size of grass tractors has risen significantly in weight and power, particularly in the local authority markets, explains Trelleborg’s Technical Support Manager, Jon McGott.

The wheel deal!

They’re black, round and have a hole

in the middle, right? Wrong. Jane Carley discovers that there is more

to tyres than meets the eye - particularly for use on

delicate turf.

By Jane Carley

greenside magazine | December 201021

Greenside

The wheel deal!

“These are specialist tyres for contractors, groundsmen and turf growers who need to use large tractors on turf for maximum productivity - they are used at Arsenal FC’s training ground for example,” explains Alan.

However, local authorities may find that they need a harder wearing tyre for travel

between work sites, and may also find it difficult to justify the extra cost of special rims required for the ELS.

“The TRI 2 tyre gives a half way house,” suggests Alan. “It is kind to turf, but more natural rubber compound in the construction means that it has a longer life even than an agricultural tyre. Its radial construction also makes for a comfortable drive at road speeds.”

A further benefit for those looking to get year round use from their tractors comes from the tyre’s Nordic origin.

“These tyres were developed to run in severe conditions, and local authorities have reported to us that they coped superbly last winter when used for snow clearing and gritting,” Alan reveals.

Cost conscious purchasers may also note that the TRI 2 is also considerably cheaper

than the ELS equivalent, as Alan explains.“A set of ELS tyres can come to £5,500 but,

if the tractor is used for more general duties, TRI 2 versions can be supplied for £3,000. However, contractors tell us that specifying the right tyres can be the key to winning the tender, so money is not always the issue.”

Also of radial construction, Michelin’s CargoXbibs are extensively used for cutting in parks and recreation grounds, golf courses and by turf growers, who use them for drilling, treatments and cutting the new turf.

Spokesman Paul Cordle points out: “We don’t specifically make tyres for grasscare. In my experience, most of the proprietary products are of cross ply construction, which suffer from punctures and heat build up at current road speeds. The CargoXbib can put down a flat footprint, which significantly reduces damage to the turf.”

Other features of this tyre include a large block tread pattern and rounded shoulders to avoid scuffing on turns. It can be run at low ground pressures and, due to its agricultural heritage, the range of sizes and carrying capacities are more than adequate for groundcare needs.

The specialist dealer’s viewChoosing turf tyres for a specific task can be a complex decision, according to Andy Hipkin of leading supplier Fieldens.

“We have a range of garden tractor wide, low ground pressure tyres which have a soft compound rubber, and a light and flexible carcase. This was developed twenty years ago, but is on the verge of being redundant. With the larger tractors now being used, there is the potential to fit higher capacity loaders, or tow bigger chippers etc., so our wide Twin Implement range, originally developed for agricultural machinery is more appropriate because of its greater load capability, higher speed rating and more suitable, harder rubber compound for roadwork.”

Totrax supplies specialist tyres and wheels to a number of industries, and product manager, Dave Raynes, explains that groundcare tyres are specified on a decidedly bespoke basis.

“We take the gear ratio of the vehicle in question, the desired width and footprint and then match the data with a tyre from one of a number of manufacturers. This may be the American brand, Carlisle, or a Far East make. The ideal combination for the larger machines, that we are increasingly seeing in the industry, has a large surface contact area and rounded shoulders to avoid scuffing. However, the footprint of the tyre can be restricted by the application - in a football stadium for example, access to the pitch may be via a narrow entrance, which can limit the width of tyres used.”

Nordic Tyres is the UK importer for the Finnish Nokian brand, which features radial tyres designed to offer the flat footprint required for turf.

“Tyres for higher horsepower tractors tend to be developed for agriculture rather than groundcare, so it is a matter of taking their

best qualities and matching them to the required application,” explains the company’s Alan Lindsay. “Many flotation tyres are of cross ply construction with the tread and sidewall the same thickness. This gives a ‘dome shaped’ footprint which can cause rutting and compaction. We use radial tyres which have a radial band around the tread and a separate carcass, allowing it to be as thin as necessary and produce the desired flat footprint.”

Nokian’s ELS range is described as a true flotation tyre, with a shallow tread and wide cross section to spread the weight of the tractor.

“These are specialist tyres for contractors, groundsmen and turf growers who need to use large tractors on turf for maximum productivity - they are used at Arsenal FC’s training ground for example,”

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Greenside

“Whilst small tyres for compact tractors are relatively straightforward, as horsepower increases, many factors have to be taken into consideration. These include the amount of roadwork to be carried out, the nature of the turf itself and the load the tyre has to carry. Some purchasers need tyres to fulfil more than one role, such as golf course contractors who use the same tractor for construction and for the ongoing maintenance. Every application and every tractor is different and, therefore, it is best to contact a tyre specialist.”

Some machinery manufacturers, including John Deere and New Holland, offer a choice of tyres at the time of purchase, but many prefer to leave it to the customer’s local dealer.

And, whilst some of the agricultural tyre manufacturers have turf models in their range, Andy suggests that there is more choice from specialist suppliers including Trelleborg, Nokian and Titan.

“The most popular tyres we sell are from Titan, and many of the turf tyres supplied as standard with new machinery are sourced from this company,” says Andy. “They offer two basic types of turf tyre. The Torc Trac for the rear is based on the old diamond tread pattern, but is more of a block pattern these days, putting an increased percentage of the tyre’s surface area on the turf. At the front is the Multi Trac which is, essentially, an overgrown garden tractor tyre. They are simple designs but have been successful for football, golf and a range of other sports.”

John Deere’s Henry Bredin suggests that, while the company offers a choice of turf tyres on its groundcare tractors, the local dealer is often able to help with more specialist requests.

“We have ongoing agreements with some of the leading racehorse trainers and racecourses, and dealers work closely with them to source the ideal tyre for their needs,” he explains.

“Although the tyres need to carry loads, the temptation to use wider and wider tyres should be avoided as that just flattens a larger area of grass. The tyres also need to be versatile too, as the tractors are used for a range of jobs, from verti-draining and mowing to towing irrigators,” he adds.

Feeling flat?Punctures are less of a problem these days, notably since a lot of tyres are tubeless designs which resist punctures. However, the best way to avoid punctures is to make sure that the tyre is suitable for its application. Customers who try to cut corners and use the wrong tyre tend to spend more on puncture repairs.

Polyeurethane tyres are another option, and come in particularly handy for machines that are exposed to rougher conditions, such as commercial mowers or trailed implements.

Official UK distributor for the Amerityre brand, Puncture Proof Tyres, James Bowett, outlines the advantages of this type of tyre.

“These are not filled tyres, but made of 100% polyeurethane, so offer a lighter tread on turf, eliminating the downtime associated with mending punctures and checking inflation pressures. As the height of cut on this type of mower is usually set on the wheels, using a solid tyre also keeps the finish consistent across the working width.”

Fitting does require a special tool, which can be purchased for larger workshops, or tyres can be fitted by the company’s network of dealers. A range of tread patterns and tyre sizes is available and James comments that the choice is expanding all the time. Prices are said to compare well with a pneumatic tyre and are

less than the equivalent filled tyre. A further advantage, according to James, is that they are ‘green’.

“Polyurethane can be landfilled, or reground and re-used in other products, avoiding the disposal issues associated with rubber tyres,” he explains.

Punctures can be an issue for construction contractors running on flinty soils, particularly if they are using low ground pressure tyres on a machine which will also be deployed for the maintenance of the new turf. However, Dave Raynes of Totrax points out that most of the modern flotation tyres used on larger tractors have ply ratings of 12/15, which can help avoid punctures.

“But where they are an issue, tyres can be filled with OKO sealant, which is forced into the hole in the event of a puncture, blocking it up and preventing deflation. Alternatively, the entire chamber of vulnerable tyres can be filled and the tyre cured, but this does add weight, so is not suitable for all machines. We are looking at lighter solutions for sealing tyres in the future” says Dave Raynes.

Greenside would like to thank Pitchcare Magazine for the use off this article

New Holland tractor on torc trac and multi trac tyres

greenside magazine | December 201023

News

It was dated 1896, followed by the number 7. and under the date was the name W. M. Langridge. Inscribed on the other side was ‘Crowborough Beacon Golf Club.’ I asked my friend what the medal commemorated and he said he had no idea, except that the name on the medal was that of his grandmother.

The following day he phoned me to say that his wife had looked up the club website, and found extracts from a book called The Life and Times of Crowborough Beacon Golf Club which had been published in 1995 to celebrate the one hundreth anniversary of the club. From these extracts she discovered that the first lady’s monthly competition that was run by the club, took place in July 1896 (which explains the number 7

after the year), and had been won by Winifred Mary Langridge. Further

reading revealed that G.T. Langridge, my friend’s great uncle, and his grandmother’s

brother, was one of the founder members of Crowborough Beacon Golf

Club in 1895. Curiosity got the

better of me and I asked “How did an English monthly golf medal end up in a farmhouse

in Co. Wexford?” It transpired that Winifred

Mary Langridge was an exceptional sportswoman

(1896 was an extremely intensive and exhausting year for her). Not only was she a keen golfer but she also excelled in tennis having been a

Crowborough Beacon Golf Medal 1896I was visiting a friend of mine recently, who is in the middle of researching his family history.

As we were chatting over a cup of coffee, he produced a plastic bag and emptied it out onto the table. Among the contents were some medals, one of which caught my attention.

finalist in the New Zealand Open Tennis Championships in 1896. Winifred was also an accomplished hockey player, and played on the English Ladies Hockey Team when it played its first international match in 1896 in Dublin, against the Irish Ladies Hockey Team. This was how she came to meet her future husband, an Irish merchant, who was a brother of one of the players on the Irish team. They were married in 1904, and in 1916 her husband inherited a farm in Co Wexford, where the couple moved to and settled down. Winifred Mary Langridge died in 1959 aged 86.

Crowborough Beacon Golf Club, which is located in Kent near Gatwick Airport is still a thriving club. It is remarkable how this little medal, which turned up in a country farmhouse in Co Wexford, over a hundred years later, was instrumental in my friend finding out more about his family history.

Alan Mahon

www.gcsai.org 24

Feature

AFBI’s calls a ‘Turf War’ for Invasive Root Nematodes

Multi-million pound businesses at golf courses, football and rugby stadiums and racecourses have a lot to be concerned about. There is increasing recognition that within a few months, root systems of hallowed turf can be destroyed as the turf becomes thinned, unstable and more importantly unplayable. It’s potentially a costly commercial nightmare as pitches and greens have to be re-laid. Fortunately, there is a new and potent weapon in this recent ‘Turf War’. Lead scientists at the Belfast based Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), are examining the problem and are currently studying new

By Hilary Knight, Hilary Knight Communications&

Dr. Colin Fleming Principal Scientific Officer, Applied Plant Science Division, Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI), Belfast.

Throughout the turf based leisure industry a new war is breaking out. And the enemy is the invasive and destructive parasitic root-nematode, which threatens our love of grass based sports.

methods to manage nematode outbreaks, advising key sports facilities on how to control potential damage to expensive and vital playing surfaces. Dr. Colin Fleming, lead scientist from the Applied Plant Science Division with AFBI outlined the problem. “It’s a fast growing problem for our sports grounds. We estimate that 90% of all new soccer and golf courses with sand based constructions are experiencing significant nematode damage. Plant parasitic nematodes are microscopic roundworms (adults are 0.5-3mm long) with most of the 4100 described species living in the soil, where they feed on plants especially

their roots. The heads of plant feeding nematodes contain a hollow spear or stylet with which they pierce root cell walls and ingest the cell contents, causing the plant roots to die.” “Although nematodes have been about for some time, several key changes in modern turf grass construction and maintenance have encouraged their spread and exacerbated the problem creating a distinctive pattern of destruction of grass root systems.” “For golf courses and sports stadiums, the more recent move to sand-based construction to help with drainage and playability, creates a perfect environment for

Dr Colin Fleming, principal scientist AFBI and Sean Reilly, Head Greenskeeper Lough Erne Resort examine greens at the Championship course for nemotode damage.

greenside magazine | December 201025

Feature

nemotodes and so has also increased their levels in the soil base.” “More and more of our well-known sports facilities are beginning to show evidence of root damage. An affected turf typically displays reduced vigour, wilts easily in dry conditions, responds slowly to nutrient application, becomes stunted and chlorotic and may eventually die. Ground management staff are becoming more aware of the issue where previously the condition was perhaps mistaken for a fungal infection, or ‘yellow’ or ‘takeall’ patches” “The problem is certainly being made worse by climate change as milder winters have allowed Nematode levels to increase and hatching numbers of the juvenile worms are both higher and are occurring earlier in the season.” “The commercial implications of this damage, have been seen this autumn at a leading UK (Chepstow) racecourse who have had to cancel the end of their Flat Racing season due to turf instability as a result of nematode damage. This created a potential hazard to the expensive racehorses that could catch a foot on the damaged turf. Since this story came to light we have been contacted by a number of other racecourses in the UK

to analyse soil samples to monitor their own courses.” “At present our research shows that this is a world wide problem with no simple cure. Once you have plant parasitic nematodes in the soil base, it is almost impossible to

eradicate them. Research, working with a number of forward thinking turf-based sports facilities worldwide, is identifying best practice methods of managing the problem, restricting the levels of nematodes in the soil and so reducing potential damage. We

One of the beautiful lakeside Championship courses at Lough Erne Resort.

Thinning turf caused by nemotode damage allows darker soil to be visible in the circular patches on the greens.

“At present our research shows that this is a world wide problem with no simple cure. Once you have plant parasitic nematodes in the

soil base, it is almost impossible to eradicate them. “

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Feature

are then able to offer advice to these sports facilities on the best strategies to manage the problem, backed up by regular soil testing to identify times of high level nematode hatching and grass maintenance.” “We are also carrying out research into the commercial use of a number of natural compounds that are showing huge potential in treating at “risk areas” during hatching periods, thus reducing nematodes to safer levels. Several of these environmentally safe compounds are showing tremendous promise in the ongoing fight against this commercially difficult problem.” “The turf based leisure industry is looking closely at this new technology as it seeks environmentally sound technologies that are easy to use by ground staff, reduce levels of nematode numbers, improve turf quality by keeping root development healthy and ultimately save the huge sums of money it would take to replace the sports turf.” One of the forward thinking leisure facilities taking part in the AFBI research programme is the beautiful and recently constructed Lough Erne Resort in County Fermanagh. This scenic lakeside Championship course was constructed in 2006 using a sand based design and after 18 months to two years has shown signs of nematode damage in the greens. Course Superintendent Sean Reilly, explained.

The darker patches show where turf has thinned as a result of nemotode root damage.

Sean Reilly, Head Greenskeeper Lough Erne Resort takes core samples of turf from areas showing thinning for laboratory analysis of nemotode presence

“Premium courses have to deliver high playing standards that players have come to expect. If we weren’t so pro-active in tackling the problem, playability would

deteriorate and problems would develop. Our championship course here at Lough Erne Resort has a sand based construction which allows the course to remain in play throughout the year and this makes business sense. However it does also place more pressure on the playing surfaces and especially the greens, where the turf can become more stressed and the native nematode problem can become more of an issue if not treated.” “Additionally, on championship course golf greens, the pressure from players is on to cut the sward as short as possible to increase the speed of the ball when putting, but this in itself is putting more stress on the turf which is allowing the problem to multiply.” “We first noticed problem patches on our greens about two years after they were constructed in 2006, and have been working with AFBI ever since then. We take soils samples every 3 weeks sending these to the AFBI laboratories in Belfast so that they can monitor nematode levels all the time and identify the stage of the nematodes life cycle for treatment. When turf is treated during the hatching period of the cycle, it is most effective in reducing numbers by 90%.” “AFBI help to advise on how we can best treat the problem here and we are also one of the pilot amenities to test some of the new compounds that AFBI are developing to treat

“We first noticed problem patches on our greens about two years after they were constructed ...”

greenside magazine | December 201027

Greenside

www.gcsai.org 28

Feature

the problem. The natural compounds fit well with our strict environmental policies and natural wetland areas here at the Resort and are safe to use so close to the lakeside. We have had some successes so far with some of these and despite the ongoing problems, our course has stayed in great shape for our players and we know that because we have tackled this head-on, we are winning the battle against this almost invisible enemy.” Dr. Colin Fleming comments further. Over the past few years we have increased our knowledge of the ecology and effects of plant parasitic nematode in turfgrass. Work carried out at AFBI and the Queens University of Belfast has revealed large differences in the nematode populations affecting a range of turfgrass species and rootzone construction types, with over 17 different types of nematode found regularly in European turfgrass. Typically in the UK and Ireland, new creeping bentgrass sand based USGA constructions show little evidence of plant parasitic nematodes in their first year of growth. However during year 2, the initially low levels of nematodes start to form localised “hotspots”, where significant root damage and visual turf symptoms can be seen. The high levels of sand used in these greens provide perfect conditions for some

of the most damaging turfgrass species, including root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne minor and M. naasi), sheath nematodes (Hemicycliophora) and spiral nematodes (Helicotylenchus). After a few years these nematodes can build up to levels where damage is sufficient

to cause actual turf thinning. Nematode diversity (the range of types present) also tends to increase with the age of the green and new greens can soon suffer from the effects of a diverse population of plant parasites, each affecting turf growth in different ways.

Sean Reilly, Head Greenskeeper Lough Erne Resort and Dr Colin Fleming, principal scientist AFBI take core samples of turf for laboratory analysis of nemotode presence.

Needle nematode Spiral nematode

Spirals on roots Stunt nematode

greenside magazine | December 201029

Feature

For further information please contact: Hilary Knight @ Hilary Knight Communications | 028 3888 1368 or 07712 192782 | hilary@hilaryknight.co.ukDr. Colin Fleming 028 9025 5263 or 07974 663173 | Colin.fleming@afbi.gov.ukor AFBI Press Office 028 9025 5636

Traditional links greens also have a high sand content and not unexpectedly, they usually contain very diverse nematode populations. Increasingly, we have been witnessing instances of nematode damage in these constructions, especially when greens are stressed by climate, or when greenkeepers attempt to reduce nutrient inputs. Needle nematodes (Longidorus) are one of the main problems encountered in links turf and even low levels of these large ectoparasites can cause severe root problems. Loss of Poa in links greens was a common problem during 2010 and Poa decline has been linked to infection by the root gall nematode (Subanguina radicicola). Interestingly, the horse racing calendar at Chepstow was curtailed this year due to health and safety concerns resulting from turf loss caused by this nematode. Golf greens containing rootzones with lower levels of sand, support totally different nematode populations to those found in USGA and links constructions.

Soil-based greens are often dominated by stunt nematodes (Tylenchorynchus) and spiral nematodes (Helicotylenchus). Spiral nematodes can reach extremely high densities (>5000 nematodes per 100ml soil) and in these cases most turf roots will exhibit necrosis and cortical breakdown. The wide range of nematode types found in turfgrass means that delivering effective control of plant parasitic nematodes can be a demanding task for the greenkeeper. However a better understanding of the biology of these pests will lead to improved methods for reducing nematode levels and minimising their impact on turfgrass.

Note1. Two major types of nematode parasitise

plants. Endoparasitic nematodes actually enter the roots, where they migrate through the plant, often reaching the vascular tissue before starting to feed. Ectoparasitic species remain in the soil and migrate along root surfaces, feeding

on root cells. Virtually all soils contain these parasites but damage to plants only occurs when nematode levels become high. Nematode infested roots become stunted and bushy, develop lesions and may exhibit galling.

2. For further research: The identification, status and potential

damage of root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne spp. in Northern Ireland.

http://eservices.afbini.gov.uk/researchweb/research/projects.aspx?id=UDIwMDMwMTA0-D9k4XM3q45o%3D

Michael Cousins PhotographyColin Fleming photos

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Greenside

Hilton Templepatrick

Course Feature and Photography by Alan Mahon

Hilton Templepatrick

Designed by Davy Jones of European Golf Design, Hilton Templepatrick is a majestic eighteen-hole golf course located only a few miles from Belfast City Centre.

greenside magazine | December 201031

Greenside

Hilton TemplepatrickHilton Templepatrick

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Feature

I arrived there on a lovely October morning, where Michael Loughran, the Course Superintendent at Hilton Templepatrick, greeted me. The one hundred and twenty nine bedroom hotel, which is attached to the course, provides an elegant backdrop to the eighteenth green. The land, on which the golf course is built,

is leased from the Kinahan family. Though the course has only been open for eleven years, the site on which the course is located dates back to the Bronze Age. During construction of the course, archeologists found remains of houses, flints, axe heads and pottery at the 5th, 6th, 16th, and 18th, holes as well as where the present hotel is built. The estate at Hilton Templepatrick covers

300 acres of which the golf course occupies 180 acres. Castle Upton, which forms part of the estate, dates back to the 13th century and has had a most interesting history. The present owners, the Kinahan family, bought the estate in 1963 for £58,000 and have renovated the castle in stages over the years. Castle Upton is believed to be the oldest continually inhabited house in Ireland.

The first Course Manager at Hilton Templepatrick was Frank Ainsworth. He was involved right from the start of the

course construction back in 1997. Michael started work as Frank’s Assistant at Hilton Templepatrick in 2000. Frank has since

The name Templepatrick signifies the fact that a stone Church associated with the visit of St. Patrick was erected there. ‘Teampull’ (from Tampull) means a

stone Church: hence Teampull Patrick means the stone Church of St. Patrick.

Templepatrick Hotel

greenside magazine | December 201033

Feature

stepped aside with Michael taking over the reigns last January. Today Michael Loughran and his eight staff members look after the maintenance of the course, which includes maintaining the planting beds and grass areas around the hotel grounds. Eamon Logue is the Golf Operations Manager who also happens to be the current Captain of the Irish Region of the PGA. Some changes to the course layout have

been made since the course opened in June 1999. This year the original par four 18th hole was lengthened and changed to a par five. Back in 2006 the par four 10th hole was reshaped to tease the adventurous golfer into going for the green in one, despite the long water feature that is there

to catch the wayward ball, if the shot is not executed to perfection. There is a safer way of approaching this hole, which allows you to safely reach the green in two. It was the fore mentioned Frank Ainsworth who was involved in designing these two holes and, being a keen golfer, has tastefully created a challenge where other designers have often failed.The Six Mile Water river runs along the edge

of the course where there is an old towpath. On the course side of the towpath there is a low embankment, which has proved very useful over the years in preventing the course from becoming flooded when the river bursts its banks. The fields on the opposite side of

the river are often submerged during heavy floods, while the course has remained dry. Wildlife at Hilton Templepatrick is

abundant. There are many woodland areas within the course boundary. There are badger sets located around the course, and grey squirrels are plentiful. Buzzards and sparrow hawks are a common sight and migrating Canada geese have been seen using the course as a stopover. Fish have now naturally colonized the man made lakes, formed during the course construction, and a family of swans can be seen on the lake in front of the 18th - a welcome sight. Deer are raised on the estate and they can be seen in herds close by.

Tree planting has been carried out regularly over the past ten years to compliment the existing mature trees growing throughout the course. Some of the earlier plantings have grown so well that they have been re-lifted, using a mechanical tree spade, and planted elsewhere on the course. The survival rate of these transplanted semi-mature trees is exceptionally high, somewhere in the region of 85-90%. Michael Loughran recalls one funny incident where a very large pine tree was transplanted beside the first tee for a photo shoot. Large pine trees are not the easiest to move around so there was no expectation of this tree surviving, but survive it did, and it now grows happily beside the first tee. As well as planting new

trees, Michael also has to keep an eye on the mature trees. This winter will see some branches being thinned and there may even be some trees which might have to be removed, due to rot setting in, making them dangerous for golfers. Stuart Ashford is the man in charge of felling and removing the timber for the estate. Having so many wonderful trees around

the course has its downside - Autumn! With so many trees losing their leaves during that time, it is out with the leaf blowers each day up to Christmas, a tedious but necessary chore.The greens have been constructed using

USGA specifications and were sown with a

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fescue/bent mix. One thing I noticed, while walking the course, was the scarcity of poa annua on the greens and tees. “We never hollow core or overseed our greens and we do not intend doing so in the future.” said Michael. “We solid tine the greens in February and November and give a routine topdressing during the growing season. This year we gave an application of granular fertilizer at the start of the season (8:0:0:) and another in late June (4:0:8:) Everything after that is applied as a liquid seaweed based feed”. The only areas on the course that are routinely topdressed are the greens, tees and walk off areas. Frank Ainsworth has often said, “If you want meadow grass, then hollow core.” That is coming from a man who has almost fifty years of greenkeeping experience behind him. “Because of our low fertility input, we do get

problems with moss on some of the greens.” added Michael. “Wherever it occurs, I give an application of Carfetrazone, which works well to contain the problem.” The height of cut (HOC) on greens in the summer

is never lower than 4.5mm. This increases to 6.5mm in winter. The HOC on tees is 10mm in summer and 12mm in winter. As with many golf courses, pitch marks are a constant

annoyance for Michael and his staff. Coming in on a Monday morning after a busy weekend is a nightmare for him. “You can see the dead patches of grass where each unrepaired pitch mark was made. You can prevent the grass from dying if a pitch mark is repaired within ten minutes.” Good advice from Michael, but it is very hard to get this message across to some of today’s golfers. For a course that is only eleven years open, it has

matured very well. Despite the current economic downturn, visitor numbers are holding well and

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membership has remained steady. The course hosted a Ladies European Tour event - The Northern Ireland Ladies Open, which attracted many of Europe’s top professional golfers in June 2007. I was amazed to hear, when I arrived, that all the rooms in the hotel were completely booked up. This is no surprise as the hotel was voted the World Travel Award Northern Ireland leading golf resort and also the Northern Ireland leading business hotel in 2010. With dedicated and loyal staff, Hilton Tempepatrick is in

safe hands, giving many more years of golf and recreation.

Machinery used at Hilton Templepatrick

• John Deere 220C pedestrian greensmower x 3

• Toro workman x 1

• Jacobsen Greensking 6 with thatching units x 1

• Jacobsen TR3 surrounds mower x 1

• Jacobsen 4677 fairway mower x 1

• Saxon pedestrian tees mower x 4

• Iseki SF303 rotary mower x 1

• John Deere 3245C rotary mower x 1

• Toro 4300D rotary mower x 1

• Flymo x 3

• Cushman truxters x 2

• Hardi 800litre sprayer x 1

• John Deere 5400 70HP tractor x 1

• Kubota L5040 50HP tractor x 1

• Smithco leaf blower x 1

• Pedestrian leaf blowers x 2

• Back pack leaf blowers x 3

• Toro Procore x 1

“As with many golf courses, pitch marks are a constant annoyance for Michael and his staff.”

Green Staff at Hilton Templepatrick. Left, Kieran Dowd, Ryan Liddy, Jimmy Osborne, Paul Harrison, Frank Ainsworth and Michael Loughran.Missing from photo is Phil McKeown and Mark Hunt (inset).

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Southwest Report by Michael F O’Connor, Killarney Golf and Fishing Club

The “Locals” show the way in Windy Tralee

Our August outing took us to the North Kerry town of Tralee which is renowned in song and story for it’s “Roses” though not alone for those beautiful petals but also for it’s links golf course.

The sun shone brightly throughout the day with no need whatsoever for a brolly rain jacket. With a very strong wind combined with a well set up course and fast greens, we looked forward enthusiastically to a very challenging round of golf. Low scoring was the order of the day and sure enough, the experienced “locals” showed the way, with just one non-local involved in the first three places. One of the 2009 Presidents Cup heroes, Michael Leahy, returned a superb score of thirty eight points in extremely windy conditions. Seamus Lyons of Charleville followed close behind with thirty seven points, just one point ahead of J.J. Young, Course Superintendent at the Tralee venue, with a very creditable thirty six points. James D’Arcy of Dar Golf Construction won the Trade prize.

We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Management Committee at Tralee for the use of their top of the range facilities and also our sincere gratitude must go to Course Superintendent J.J. Young and his excellent staff for the pristine condition of the course. Well done to everyone involved for a great day out!

QualifierThe Tralee outing was also the qualifier for the Presidents Cup 2010 and the team selected to play in the event at Dromoland Castle Golf Club were as follows: Michael Leahy and J.J. Young of Tralee, Seamus Lyons of Charleville, Simon O’Hara of Fota, Michael J. O’Sullivan of Killarney, Philip McGillicuddy of Dooks and your’s truly as Captain.

Results from Tralee

Overall1st Michael Leahy Tralee G.C. 8 h’cap. 38pts.2nd Seamus Lyons Charleville G.C. 16 h’cap. 37pts.3rd J.J. Young Tralee G.C. 18 h’cap. 36pts.Category 11st Tommy Sayers Dingle 8 h’cap. 32pts. Category 21st Philip McGillicuddy Dooks G.C. 13 h’cap. 30pts.2nd Tommy Barrett Charleville G.C. 14 h’cap 30pts.Category 31st Colman Fitzpatrick Kanturk G.C. 22 h’cap. 31pts.Trade1st James D’Arcy DAR Golf Constuction 17 h’cap. 31pts.2nd Ken McMenman Martyns Grass Lawns 16 h’cap. 21pts.Guest PrizePhilip O’Sullivan Tralee G.C. 9 h’cap. 32pts.

t Seamus Lyons (Charleville) plays from a bunker in Tralee.

One of the more challenging Greens in Tralee.

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Southwest Report

We really looked forward to Dromoland to defend the title we won in Castleknock Golf Club in 2009.

President’s Cup 2010The 2010 President’s Cup was played on the very picturesque and environmentally friendly Dromoland Castle Golf Club on Friday 8th. October. This is a regional team competition consisting of two team members from each category of handicap e.g. 0 to 9, 10 to 17, and from 18 upwards. The South West won it in 2009 so this year we were back to defend the title. But, it was not to be! There was no joy this time around and although we put in a good performance, we were unable to produce the high scores needed to achieve success. Congratulations to the South East Region on winning this year’s event. No doubt the South West will be trying their very best to win the trophy back again in 2011. I would like to thank all my team mates most sincerely for their fine efforts on the day and wish to remind them that our day will come again. Tiuchaigh ar la aris! Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir!

The South West Region would like to acknowledge the contribution made by The Scotts Company in sponsoring this prestigious tournament. The competition gets better each passing year and we can always look forward to a fabulous day out which would not be possible without the continued support from the competition sponsors.

SympathyWe would like to extend our deepest sympathy to Barry Harmon Greenkeeper at Dooks Golf Club in County Kerry on the recent untimely death of his brother, Maurice (Mossie) at a relatively young age. Our condolences also go to Michael McFeely, Course Superintendent at Westmanstown Golf Club in County Dublin on the death of his father, Kevin. We can assure both Barry and Michael and their families that our thoughts and prayers are with them at this very sad time.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a cuid anam dhilis.

ResultsThe Results of the 2010 Christmas Hampers outing, due to take place at Fota Golf Club, County Cork will be published in the first issue of Greenside, early in the New Year.

SponsorsWe would like to thank our sponsors most sincerely for their undying support as always in good times and in bad. Please give our sponsors as much support as you possibly can. I know it can’t be easy in these difficult times but every little helps. As I have said many times before “We would not survive without our sponsors”.

L to R. Seamus Lyons & Tommy Barrett (Charleville), John Rouine (Lahinch) and Philip McGillicuddy (Dooks) take a break in Tralee.

Michael F. makes a special presentation to Head Superintendent J.J. Young

Overall Winner Michael Leahy.

Christmas comes early for Michael J. Michael J. O’Sullivan must have thought that Christmas arrived early this year, when he was presented with a wonderful hamper to take first prize in ‘The Christmas Hampers’ outing to exotic Fota Island Golf Club in County Cork on Thursday 4th November 2010. Strong winds were the order of the day and though we were very lucky that the rain decided to stay away, it made for a very challenging days golf. Michael was just one of three competitors each of whom, in spite of the conditions, returned superb scores of thirty nine points. Michael had a better back nine holes than the others with nineteen points, whereas the second and third positions had eighteen points and seventeen points respectively.

Our thanks to Fota Golf Club Management Committee for the use of the superb complex. We are most grateful!

Course Superintendent, Con O’Driscoll, as well as his very capable Assistant

Simon O’Hara, and their staff, must be congratulated on the excellent condition of the course and especially as we had entered the winter season. Our highest compliments must go to Catering Manager Joe and his catering staff for the delicious culinary delights served up afterwards and for the high standard of service. My sincere

Michael O’Sullivan winning the Christmas hamper

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Northeast Report by David Callanan, Beech Park Golf Club

Once again the long evenings are upon us and the fine summer we had is now just a memory. It has been a tough year for many of our clubs financially, but with a dry summer I hope all Superintendents found the pressure to produce top quality playing conditions far easier than in the previous two seasons.

This time of year offers Superintendents from neighbouring clubs an opportunity to come together and discuss topics such as staff levels, budget cuts, and membership levels in clubs. I am part of one of these groups in my area and I would highly recommend it to all Superintendents. It is worth remembering that we all face similar challenges in our clubs and quite often discussing these problems with others can take some pressure from our shoulders and equip us with answers to give to our members when asked about the “golf course down the road.”