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A dense wear-resistant turf is essential on athletic fields and sports areas to provide playersafely, good footing and a pleasing appearance. The successful sports turf contains propersoil, sufficient irrigation, appropriate grasses, disease and insect control programs, andmechanical grooming procedures. For over 17 years, Olathe has provided the turf profes-sional with the proper equipment needed.Core and slicing cultivation are desirable practices to allow percolation through theprofile. Aeration with Olathe Models 88, 96, 686, 687, and 75 opens up holes andremoves plugs which may be broken up and returned as topdressing. An ideal methodof core cultivation is the Olathe Model 56 Plug Pulverizer, which lifts areation plugsoff the turf and pulverizes them into topdressing. Slicing with machines like the OlatheModels 83/93, 37/38, and 71 develops slits that allow deeper penetration of airand water.Many sports fields have limited prospects for improvement because of lack of irrigationwater. The introduction of water-absorbing polymer into the ground with equipmentlike the Olathe Model 71/831 Aerator/Polymer Planter may provide an answerfor these problems.

Model 3 7/38 Aero-Thatch/Seeder Model 83/93 Aero-Thatch/Seeder Model 71/831 Polymer Planter Model 54HL Turf Sweeper

Where areas are thin or worn, slit seeding with units like the Olathe Model 83/93,37/38, and 82 should be done on a regular basis. These PTO units power a blade intothe ground and place the seed into the slits where a good root system can develop forstronger turf. An additional benefit of slit seeding on established turf is to relieve surfacecompaction and bring topsoil to the surface.Sports turf requires mechanical mowing and grooming for a healthy and aesthetic appealfor spectators. Turf equipment like the Olathe Model 54HL Sweeper removes grassclippings, thatch and other debris from sports fields and large turf areas. Specialized unitslike the Olathe Model 61 Blower and Model 67 Blower help remove light snow orwindrow grass for later removal.Olathe products are especially geared for the sports turf industry and are supported bynationwide sales and service centers. Don't miss the opportunity to view some of theseproducts on your sports turf areas.Write or cailyour local Olathe/Toro distributor for free demo or call toll-free 1-800-255-6438.

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Circle 126 on Postage Free Card

KauaiLagoonscontinued from page 20

dressing. "The silica sand has a pH of 7. Byincorporating the silica sand into the localsand, we can bring its pH down slowly," headds.

The greens were fumigated and thensprigged with Tifdwarf. Fertigation wasused to help speed up the establishment ofthe greens, tees and green banks.

Sanders applied a new mowing tech-nique on the undulating, Nicklaus-stylegreens. He placed 19-inch reels in the 22-inch frames of his Jacobsen walkinggreensmowers. This reduces scalpingwhen the greens are cut daily at 9/64-inch

during the winter and 1/8-inch during thesummer. Half of the greensmowers areequipped with groomers. Each week halfthe greens are lightly groomed while theother half are topdressed with silica sand.

Some of the tees are walk-mowed aswell. "Jack likes a lot of tees," Sandersstated. "Every hole has at least four. Onepar three has seven! The gold tees areoften too small for our tee mowers." All teesare topdressed at least once a month withsand and verticut every other week duringthe summer. The tees are cut at 5/16-inchyear round.

One thing that bothered Sanders aboutthe grow-in of Kiele is he didn't have time to

22 Golf & Sports TURF Circle 114 on Postage Free Card

verticut the fairways. "I like to stay on top ofthatch from the beginning," he remarked.With only four months to go before opening,he held off verticutting. To encourage den-sity during grow-in, he cross-cut the fair-ways daily with lightweight mowers (Jacob-sen LF-100s) at 1/2-inch. "We'll startverticutting the fairways once or twice ayear," he adds.

The roughs require two different types ofmowers due to their size and topography.Triplex mowers are used on the moundswhile seven-gang units cover theremainder. The common bermuda is kept at1114inch. The close rough and green banksare mowed at 3/4-inch with JacobsenTri-Kings.

To manage the 400-plus acres of golf turf,Sanders needed a skilled staff and an irri-gation system that was flexible and con-venient. He brought irrigation specialistMarty Alexander with him from Arizona.Alexander had experience with the MAXIsystem in Phoenix. Kelly Marvin, whomSanders hired to construct the sand trapson Kiele, is now assistant superintendent ofthat course. Tim Canute from Maui is theassistant on the Lagoons course.

Carolyn O'Connell is the assistantsuperintendent of the extensive resort land-scape. Marvin, Canute, and O'Connell eachhave crews of 15 or more to keep the com-plex in top condition. The entire team con-sists of nearly 100 people hand-picked bySanders and his assistants.

Alexander's experience with the Maxihas helped Kauai Lagoons tap the fullpotential of the MAXI System IV. Duringgrow-in it was imperative that the sprigs becontinually moist without eroding slopedareas or flooding flat terrain. As with anynew course, drainage is relatively unprovenuntil the irrigation system and weather arefully coordinated.

Alexander programmed irrigation sched-ules that provided a total of 40 to 45 minutesof flow every 24 hours. To achieve thiswithout erosion, he called for two and threeminutes of station run time every hour dur-ing daylight and two or three short cycles atnight. "Without computer control, keepingthe entire course continually moist wouldhave required a lot more water and a lotmore people, II he reveals.

The two irrigation systems are linked intwo ways, hydraulically and electronically.Each PSI pump station delivers more than3,100 gallons per minute of water from a sin-gle reservoir. An agreement with the city ofLihue for irrigation-quality effluent providesthe majority of the water needed. The waterhas a pH of 7.1. A well supplements theeffluent when necessary. Both pump sta-tions are linked by a 12-inch main to makesure there is no interruption in irrigation incase of a breakdown.

The electronic link is between theweather station and the computers.Weather data, including temperature, solarradiation, wind, humidity, and rainfall, isdownloaded to both computers. Six addi-

continued on page 24

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KauaiLagoonsoontinued from page 22

tional rain gauges located throughout theresort monitor microclimates. All this infor-mation is used to adjust irrigation sched-ules on a daily or more frequent basis.

Golfers and maintenance are not the onlyconstraints on the irrigation system. Thelagoons, carriage trails, roads, and foot-paths are intertwined with the golf courses.As a result, irrigation cannot begin in manyareas until midnight and must be com-pleted by 5:30 a.m., when the maintenancecrew arrives. Scheduling the two huge sys-tems to match this time frame in light of theerratic weather would be impossible withoutcomputers. Even then, balancing the flowrequirements of the pump stations to con-trol energy costs is a herculean task.

After the completion of the Kiele courseand while the Lagoons course was growingin, Rain Bird introduced a more advancedversion of its MAXI software. The new Sys-tem IV software gave the computers thepower to program irrigation schedules tomaximize energy use by the pumps. It alsorefined the process of dividing water timesup into segments which more closelymatched the ability of slopes and other sen-sitive areas to absorb water.

Based upon ET data for the preced ingday, Alexander can let the "Flo-Manager"software arrange the flow requirement ofthousands of heads and valves to create aconsistent demand on the pump stations.By eliminating peaks and valleys in thedemand on the pumps, they can work atmaximum efficiency No longer do thepumps run above or below their designedpotential. The computer groups the needsof different zones to match the optimumoutput of the pumps.

Alexander realized that in manyinstances he could shut down the jockeypump during the main irrigation schedule.He also discovered that the jockey pumpalone was sufficient to handle fertigation, aswell as drip programs for thousands ofexotic plants, separately from the mainschedule.

"The important factor," notes Sanders, "is

Horse-drawn carriages transport guests over eight miles of trails.

Golfers andmaintenance are notthe only constraints

on the irrigationsystems. The

lagoons, carriagetrails, roads, andfootpaths are

intertwined with thegolf courses.

24 Golf & $portsTURF

Mahogany launches navigate the manmade waterways of the Westin complex.

that now the pumps are running at theirmost efficient rates. We are able to pump anaverage of 662 gallons per kilowatt, com-pared to 570 gallons per killowatt on theoriginal system program. This enables us topump approximately five to six million gal-lons per month for the same cost as before.And the overall watering time has beenreduced from ten hours to essentiallyseven:'

Alexander figures that the new softwarehas reduced pump run time by 26 percentand cut electric bills by 29 percent.Projected over one year, these will amountto a savings of nearly $40,000, he adds.

Sanders believes that the second featureof the new software, "Cycle & Soak," hasimproved the condition and appearance ofthe heavily mounded Lagoons course. "Ithas been a help while we work on refiningour drainage system," he explained. "Ittakes a few years to locate and correct wetspots on any new golf course. Since we canadjust slope irrigation effectively, we canschedule drainage improvements to fit intoou r workload:'

It took Alexander only three days to addthe new software to his existing system."Computer-controlled irrigation systemshave a high initial cost," Sanders admits,"but the cost is justified when you considerthe simplicity and economy of upgradingirrigation with advancing technology:'

Hemmeter has plans to add a third 18-hole course to Kauai Lagoons in the comingyears. Nicklaus, Coates, and Sanders arealready working on the details. The plannedcourse will be close to Lihue airport, whereanother unique microclimate will have to beconsidered. A third MAXI, a second reser-voir, and possibly a second weather stationmay be required to meet the growing needsof the mega-resort.

"This is the largest resort in acreage inthe world!" boasts Coates. "To think it is alsoone of the most recognized for quality is areal tribute to Chris Hemmeter, Jack Nick-laus, their staff and suppliers. You have tosee it to believe it!" i)

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Circle 123 on Postage Free Card

ASGCA OFFICERS PREDICT CONTINUED COURSE DEMANDIf interest rates remain in the "reasona-

ble" range and golfers continue to flock togolf courses in record numbers, officers ofthe American Society of Golf CourseArchitects (ASGCA) expect new coursedevelopment to accelerate rather thanplateau.

Robert Trent Jones, Jr" ASGCA presi-dent, has projected that 5,000 new courseswill be needed by the year 2000, but he nowbelieves demand could be even greater inthe '90s. "All segments of the golfbusiness-juniors, young adults, middle-age males, women, and seniors-are grow-ing dramatically, and we must build facilitiesto satisfy these eager golfers," he says.

"Obviously, we need more publiccourses, and we are gradually seeing morebeing built. These courses, however, will bemuch more challenging that those publicfee courses of a generation ago. In fact,some of the new public courses are amongthe best designs coming on stream," Jonesasserts.

The California-based architect also notesthat today's golf course architect haslearned to work with various governmentalagencies to satisfy all the environmentalconcerns associated with wetlands andendangered species. He adds that manycourses are being built successfully inenvironmentally sensitive areas.

Focus On Playability - Dan Maples,ASGCA vice president, who works out ofPinehurst, NC, designs many courses forresorts and developers in tourist destina-tions. He believes that architects designingfor this ever-growing market will be concen-trating on "enjoyable but not boring"courses.

"We work on making courses playable sothat the golfers enjoy their round," saysMaples. "Aesthetics are important todevelopers around the world:'

Maples points out that Society membersare now working throughout the world, andmost clients want a "U.S. championshipcourse, which in their mind meanschallenging, not intimidating, and fun toplay." More ASGCA members are workinginternationally, especially in Europe, as theU.S. golf boom continues to roll out in everyarea of the world.

More Variety In Nines - Tom Clark,ASGCA secretary, of Wheaton, M 0,explains that many developers are askingfor 27 or even 36 holes initially, with differ-ent degrees of difficulty on each nine. Withthis layout, beginners can build up theirconfidence on the easiest nine and thenprogress to the others. Clark says this alsohelps speed up play on the tougher nines.

Clark thinks many courses will soon beseriously considering a policy that requires

new players to complete certain proficiencytests, including those on golf etiquette. Ifmultiple courses are available, only thosewith lower handicaps, for instance, will beallowed to play the more difficult courses.

The majority of new courses in recentyears have been built in conjunction withreal estate developments, and Clark saysthat trend will continue. In most cases, thecourse is open to the public until thedevelopment is filled, at which time itbecomes a private club.

"We see this same pattern becomingmore popular with municipalities in the nextdecade," Clark adds. "The typical scenariois for the developer to give the necessaryland for the golf course to the municipalityin return for the right to bild housing aroundthe course:'

Television Has Impact - Arthur Hills,ASGCA treasurer, is based in Toledo, OH,but works throughout the country. He statesthat "people want the championship-typecourses they see on television, but theywant fair and realistic courses withoutgimmicks.

"The bottom line is that there is a gradualreturn to a more traditional approach todesign, with realistic placement of bunkersand greens that allow the player a fair puttwithout worry about severe breaks or mul-tiple levels," says Hills.

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He believes golfers appreciate thatcourses serve as greenbelts in communi-ties that need open space and oxygen. Headds that architects have worked success-fully in environmentally sensitive locations,often providing additional wetland areaswhen wetlands are needed for the strategicplayability of the golf course.

Design For Site - "Golf courses of thefuture will fit with the lay of land," saysJones. "Designers are conscious of theirresponsibility to the community and playersto build a course that 'fits.' There is no doubtthat owners and the golfers who play theircourses will pay a fair price to playa welldesigned course. Courses built by 'amateurarchitects' that are poorly maintained willnot be successful:'

With the global concern about water con-servation, many new courses will have amore natural look, Jones adds. But he sug-gests that this fits in with designing with thelay of land.

"U.S. design has been accepted interna-tionally," says Jones. "But that does notmean that there is a certain style. Architectswill continue to evaluate each site andproduce a design that accentuates its bestfeatures and provides a layout that will beenvironmentally sensitive and challengingto the golfers who will be playing it forgenerations to come."

C. E. ROBINSONC. E. "Robbie" Robinson, designer of

some of Canada's finest golf courses,passed away recently. He was 82.

Robinson, who served as president of thethe American Society of Golf CourseArchitects in 1961-62 and 1971-72, alsodesigned courses in the United States,Mexico, the Caribbean, and SouthAmerica.

Robinson graduated from the Universityof Toronto's Agricultural College in Guelph,Ontario, in 1929. After graduation he beganan apprenticeship with famed Canadiangolf course architect Stanley Thompson,who landed Robinson a position as coursemanager and superintendent at Sunning-dale Country Club in London, Ontario.

In 1936, Robi nson retu rned to theThompson firm and then served from 1941to 1946 with the Royal Canadian Air Forceduring World War II. Following military serv-ice, he was employed for two years in siteselection and housing development withthe Canadian government's Central Mort-gage and Housing Development.

Robinson began his golf course architectpractice in 1948, and founded C. E. Robin-son & Associates, Ltd., in 1961. He becamerecognized as an authority on turfgrass cul-ture after additional study in soil scienceand agronomy at Cornell University and turfmanagement at the University of Mas-

sachusetts, and for several years was thedirector of the Royal Canadian Golf Associ-ation's Green Section.

He is survied by his wife, Thelma; onebrother, Gerald; and three sisters, NinaShanette, Ivy Bobb, and Ruby Robinson.Donations in his memory can be made tothe Canadian Cancer Society.

SUPERINTENDENTS TOFOCUS ONENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTThe environmental impact of golf courseswill be addressed at the 61st InternationalGolf Course Conference and Show onFebruary 19-26 in Orlando, FL. More than15,000 professional turf managers andother industry leaders are expected toattend the event, which is sponsored by theGolf Course Superintendents Association ofAmerica (GCSAA).

Some of the environmental topics slatedfor discussion are: water quality and con-servation, integrated pest management,hazard communication, undergroundpetroleum tanks, and storage, disposal, andrecycling of chemicals. Expert presenta-tions on these and other topics will bemade during the Friday, February 23 ses-sion on "Managing Today's Environment"

A special government relations openforum will also be held at the conference.

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Circle 122 on Postage Free Card

Barry University Sets StandardFor NCAA Baseball Diamonds

"Given adequate resources, it is relatively simple to plan, design, and in-stall a baseball field that looks outstanding upon completion. The true

test of excellence, however, is how that field is cared for and main-tained, and its aesthetic value, three, five, or ten years from the time of

installation. II Eddie Colleti, Athletic Director, Barry University.

Buccaneers practice on university's award-winning diamond.

28 Golf & SportsTURF

By these or any other standards, thebaseball field at Barry University inMiami Shores, FL, is a winner. What

began as an adequate women's softballfield was converted into a superb baseballdiamond six years ago. It hosts 60 NCAAbaseball games and eight months of prac-tice every year and was recently awardedthe 1989 Beam Clay Baseball Diamond ofthe Year Award in the College Division.

Founded in 1940, Barry is a CatholicInternational University with approximately6,000 students. It was a women's collegeuntil it went coed in 1979-1980. Through thegenerous donation of a booster, theschool's softball field was converted into abaseball diamond in 1984. The schoolbegan to participate in NCAA Division "baseball, softball, and soccer competitionthat year, three years before groundskeeperJerry Brown was hired.

When the softball field was converted toa baseball diamond, automatic irrigationwas installed throughout the field, with theexception of the infield and dugout areas.All the fields, baseball and soccer, werethen sprigged with Bermuda 419, and thediamond's infield was excavated to a depthof approximately six inches. Sand andmuck were mixed to create the soil to fill inthe excavation, and then the area wasresodded. The original clay, which was softand sandy, was replaced.

Although he is reluctant to take credit forthe field's continuing excellence, the manbehind it is Brown. His determination, pride,and unquenchable thirst for information onturfgrass management are the foundationfor the diamond's success.

"Jerry is the kind of guy who takesweekend vacations to visit other field andgolf course superintendents," noted BruceBarclay, men's baseball coach at BarryUniversity.

Brown's "vacations" have taken him up

and down the Florida coast. He simply can-not learn enough about his profession. "I'vesought information from the best ground-skeepers and golf course experts inFlorida," he said.

Among the experts Brown has visited inFlorida are Tom Burns in Port Charlotte,Ron Timpanaro in Clearwater, BudKoehnke of Osceola County Stadium, andEd Miller in Fort Lauderdale. "It's a pleasureand privilege to interchange with theseguys," he added. "They spur me on to domore:'

Brown, 34, didn't start out to be a ground-skeeper, but in one way or another healways stayed in close touch with the turf.He grew up in Garden Grove, CA, in whathe describes as a "sports family," and cutlawns for pocket money as a boy.

At Golden West Junior College, he playedcatcher on the baseball team. As a part-time job, he worked on the school's base-ball field.

After graduating from Golden West,Brown attended U.S. International Univer-sity in San Diego, CA, on a baseballscholarship and work-study program. Healso worked on the university's baseballfield. He graduated with a degree inelementary education, eager for anythingbut the career for which he had studied.

Rather than jumping into teaching,Brown started working as a laborer on a golfcourse in San Diego. A few years later hemoved to Phoenix, AZ, married, worked inlandscape construction, and taughtelementary school for a year-and-a-half.

Brown eventually headed back to Califor-nia, settled in the San Francisco Bay Area,and sold Yellow Pages advertising. In a lit-tle more than a year his selling days werefinished. He worked in landscape main-tenance for the next three-and-a-half years.It appeared that he had settled on a career.

rontinued on page 30

Detail-oriented Brown borrowed many of his techniques from Major League grounds-keepers.

The mound at Buccaneer Field is prepared to provide a perfect slope toward the moundand a flat area behind the pitching rubber.

February, 1990 29

Barry Universitycominued from page 29

Where to pursue it was another matter.With friends who lived in the area

encouraging him, Brown moved to MiamiShores, FL. One day he spied an ad in apaper for a groundskeeper to care for thebaseball diamond and two soccer fields atBarry University. He applied and was hired.Brown, the quintessential body in motion,had come to rest. Yet he's never beenbusier.

"I have been in the [landscaping and turfmaintenance] field eight out of 11 yearssince graduating college," said Brown. "ButI never experienced the desire that I nowhave for baseball fields. It combines my lovefor baseball and field maintenance per-fectly:'

According to Barclay, the field was ingood shape when Brown arrived threeyears ago, but Brown has made substantialimprovements. "Jerry has done a tremen-dous job," commented Barclay. "He takes alot of pride in his work. He's proof that a per-son who works hard can stretch a budqet "

"Getting resources to improve the facilityhas not been easy," Brown confessed. "It iseasier to maintain the status quo, not makeany waves, and suffer with mediocrity. I'vealways had an inner drive to improve thefield and get things done. For example,rather than looking at weeds and a parkinglot, we purchased a windscreen for the out-field fence to close the ballpark. It took oneyear to get half of the screens and a secondyear to get the fence enclosed. The athleticdepartment paid for if'

Financing the improvements has oftenbeen a cooperative effort. "We needed tocompletely redo the outer half of the out-field," Brown continued. "At first they weregoing to save the good grass, which wasspotty, and then sprig the rest. But the out-field was so uneven that it would have beena mess.

"Finally, after a lot of negotiation, theschool decided to grade the whole area andput in all new sod. It was a tremendous,costly job, and the grounds budget couldn'tcover it all. So Student Activities said theywould pay for half the job if grounds wouldpay for the other. It was a team effort," saidBrown.

Like the improvements to the field, equip-ment upgrades have been gradual becauseof the school's limited budget. Jack Patter-son, supervisor of grounds, is responsiblefor these upgrades. According to Brown,some of the university's best equipmentinvestme-nts were a tractor and a five-gangpull-behind mower. A 200-gallon tanksprayer, a Lely fertilizer spreader, and anaerator have also been purchased.

"The fields used to be cut with a triplexmower," said Brown. "To cut all three was anall-day job. Before, it would take two hoursto cut the baseball field. Now it can be donein 20 minutes. This is why the grass is per-fectly manicured - it can be cut every day:'

Of course, even the most high-tech, state-of-the art mowers, aerators, and spreaders30 Golf & Sports TURF

Soccer players get the same quality surface as the baseball team.

won't run themselves. A top-notch fieldrequires a top-notch daily maintenance pro-gram. It requires work and creativity.

Brown begins his duties each day byusing a flat shovel to clean the clay off thegrass edges of the infield. He uses a shovelrather than a broom, he revealed, becausebrooms tend to push the clay back onto thegrass. He also cleans the grass after pre-game batting and infield practice, and triesto avoid creating lips at all cost. "I amscrupulous, almost fanatical, about keepingclay off the grass," said Brown.

After the grass edges of the infield havebeen cleaned, he works the clay by rakingthe baselines. They are four feet wide, andBrown said he prefers the relatively narrowwidth of these areas because they are themost difficult to keep dry. He rakes length-wise to avoid kicking clay onto the grass,and shallowly to keep the baselines as firmas possible. He scratches the clay's surfacejust deeply enough to fill in any holes.

"It's best to work the clay early in themorning to take advantage of the moisturefrom the dew," he said. "If the clay is not thecorrect moisture I wet it lightly, just enoughto achieve the proper consistency:'

Brown uses the flat side of an aluminumlandscape rake to fill in the batters' boxesand catchers' holes. Generally, holes arenot a problem on practice days because theteam hits and pitches on pieces of artificialturf during batting practice.

The pitcher's mound at Barry University'sbaseball diamond emulates that of AngelStadium in Anaheim, CA, in the early 1970s.When Brown attended Golden West JuniorCollege and played baseball, one of hiscoaches also used to pitch batting practicefor the Angels. Through this coach he hadlearned about several techniques used byAngel Stadium groundskeepers, including

preparation of the mound. He was also ableto put them into practice while working onthe diamonds of Golden West and U.S.International, and in turn brought them toBarry.

The pitching rubber is 111/2inches abovehome plate, and the mound is completelyflat behind the rubber for 36 inches. Apitcher can step from the rubber, or to theside, and remain on level ground. The areain front of the rubber is level for six inches,and the mound starts tapering down fromthere.

"It is an inclined ramp, level from side toside" said Brown, referring the mound. "Idescribe it by comparing it to a cube of but-ter, cut with a hot knife at a straight 45-degree angle. This summer, I took out thelip that was previously in front of the mound,so the pitcher steps down to a true 11-inchdrop." A firmer clay was used in its con-struction. After every practice, the teamcovers the mound and home plate withtarps.

During the spring season, when theMiami Shores area gets little precipitationand constant, hot winds, the infield clayrequires careful attention. After the morningraking is completed, Brown tire-rolls thebaseline between first and second base,which experiences a good deal of wear,especially after a game.

"My biggest problem in the spring is thatthe clay has a tendency to become exceed-ingly hard, so I designed my own drag,"said Brown. "I fashioned a regular nail dragand attached brooms to the back. The nailsdig in for a little bit of cushion and thebrooms smooth and finish out the clay.

"One of the problems I had before Icreated this instrument was with compac-tion from the tractor while dragging. Previ-ously, I would nail drag and then come back