Offseason Improvement: The Three T's



By Chris Hartwiger and Patrick O'Brien, USGA Green Section SE Region Agronomists

November 8, 2007

2007 was a challenging year in the Southeast Region. An extreme drought, the increasing popularity of ultradwarf bermudagrasses, new herbicides, and more research on creeping bentgrass diseases were a few of the most popular stories. Offseason is a time to allow superintendents and their staff to recharge their batteries. It also is a time to analyze the previous season and seek ways to improve. This article will review three T’s available to help with this process: TGIF, TERO, and the USGA Green Section TAS Service.

TGIF

The Turfgrass Information File (TGIF) is the single largest repository of turfgrass information in the world located at Michigan State University. Recently, Pete Cookingham, director of the Turfgrass Information Center, announced that "The largest digitization project that TIC has ever been involved with has now been completed! TGIF records for articles from Golf Course Management (GCM), and predecessor titles, from 1933 up through October of 2005, are now linked to a .pdf version of each article. This means that 98.34% of the 10,469 GCM articles with TGIF records published up to the present are linked either from MSU or GCSAA loads. This effort raises the total percentage of TGIF records which link to full-text versions to over 31%!"

TGIF now has in excess of 100,000 searchable items covering a broad scope of turfgrass related publications. Membership is nominal at $100 and sign up information can be found at http://tic.msu.edu/subscribe.html.

TERO

TERO is an acronym for the USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Online. The USGA’s Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program has funded more than 215 research projects at a cost in excess of $21 million since 1983. These projects have generated valuable information for golf course superintendents, turfgrass researchers, and anyone studying turfgrass management. The TERO website offers yet another way the USGA is delivering research results to those in the industry.

TERO is a great example of how industry and universities can work together cooperatively to generate useful information. Science has benefited the game of golf for many years and the information generated from USGA sponsored research will continue to do the same. Connecting to the USGA TERO Web site is easy. Simply type http://usgatero.msu.edu. Take the time to review research projects that are relevant to your golf course. A wealth of information exists on the TERO Web site and it is free to you.

USGA TAS Service

The USGA has been offering the Turfgrass Advisory Service (TAS) for more than 50 years now. The Turfgrass Advisory Service for the 2008 season:

• An on-site visit by your USGA agronomist.
• A detailed report that includes evaluation of current playing conditions and recommendations, plus ideas for solving problems, long range plans, and new ideas. Our digital camera makes it possible to include color photographs.
• Free phone or electronic mail consultation anytime.
• Special invitation to the USGA Regional Meetings scheduled for March 11, 2008 in Charlotte at the Ballantyne Resort.
• Periodic, special updates from the USGA Turfgrass and Environmental Research Program.

A Turfgrass Advisory Visit from the USGA Green Section is an ideal way to facilitate communication among course officials and the turf maintenance staff.

To join the USGA Green Section Turf Advisory Service, call the Green Section office in the Southeast at 1-770-229-8125. Winter is a great time to begin planning for next year. The Green Section can assist you in getting key components and strategies in place for next season.

Conclusion

We hope the off season is a good one for all those involved in golf course maintenance. There is no time to stand still in the golf industry and fall behind the competition. Take advantage of the resources available to you as you plan for next year and if the USGA Green Section can ever be of assistance, please let us know.

Source: Patrick O'Brien 770-229-8125 or patobrien@usga.org  and Chris Hartwiger 205-444-5079 or chartwiger@usga.org