DRAGGINʼ THE LINE by Jim Black Welcome to the time of the year when each day just kind of drags on into the next. We drag ourselves out of bed with the pre-dawn alarm, drag ourselves up the road to the club, drag our crew kicking and screaming out of the office and on to their assignments, then drag the hose around all day because no one else quite knows what all the hand watering is about and how to go about it. Then weʼll end up dragging ourselves home just in time for a late dinner and bed - only to be dragged awake by the alarm again so we can begin the next dayʼs dragging. Lather, rinse, repeat. Groundhog day. Let me tell you youʼre not alone and thereʼs plenty of support out there to help you with the volley of questions youʼre likely hearing right now from your players. Cybergolf posted a nice piece courtesy GCSAA that helps golfers understand what weʼre up against. I especially liked how the piece differentiates between heat stress and drought stress. Thanks to Clark Throssell, Ph.D., director of research at GCSAA. Click HERE to check it out. Not to be outdone, the USGA Green Section is, as always, chock full of useful information to help us through our summer 2011 issues. Simply head over to the USGA.org websiteʼs Turf Management Regional Updates, click on your region of the country and start with Hot Tips For This Summer - July 2011. You wonʼt be disappointed. Iʼm sure at one point I admitted to both my followers out there I was a pretty big fan of Apple products. Seems not only am I not alone, William Brown, CGCS has completely outdone me by helping to create iTurfapps.com. Care to learn about some of the latest technology and how it can help you on the course? Then click HERE to discover tech and apps sure to help make your day easier. With links to usable templates, GCSAA TV, and TiPb.com, youʼre sure to find something. Speaking of TiPb, check out the interview piece with Brown posted this time last year about how he takes advantage of his iPhone capabilities at work. Find it HERE. Lastly - are you among the number of Superintendents who, after watering to the best of your ability, still canʼt seem to keep your turf safe and healthy? After the stellar Golf Course Industry ʻWater Issueʼ in June, I wanted to mention this USGA piece about Salt-Affected Golf Courses and the Sustainable Salinity Management Plan developed by Drs. R. N. Carrow and R. R. Duncan. If you have any suspicion of salt issues at your course, THIS is a must read.