As they say, if you don’t like the weather wait a few minutes and it will change. We all know that change is a reality of life, and yet the weather pattern so far this winter remains warmer and wetter than normal for most of the North Central Region. Ohio, as an example, has set several rainfall records for January – not snowfall, rainfall. Courses in the more southern reaches of the Region are already thinking about soil temperatures and grassy weed germination. Change is coming, but when and how? Remember the guiding mantra with regards to weather’s impact: hope for the best, but plan for the worst .
Change is coming to the Green Section as well. Ty McClellan, formerly an agronomist in the Mid-Continent Region, is now our Manager of Green Section Education assisting Jim Moore, program director. Jim and Ty, together with the Green Section agronomists, will be providing a significantly wider range of educational content that will be interesting and useful to everyone associated with the game. As always, we remain devoted to sharing scientifically-based, environmentally-sound information via the Turf Advisory Service, supporting the world’s largest turfgrass and environmental research program, and assisting with course preparations for the USGA’s national championships.
With Ty’s changed responsibilities the North Central Region has expanded west. I will provide agronomic support for central and southern Illinois (south of I-80) in addition to Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky. Bob Vavrek, senior agronomist, and my partner in the Region, will provide agronomic support for northern Illinois (north of I-80), Iowa and Nebraska in addition to Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Along with Turf Advisory Service visits throughout our nine states, Bob and I will be assisting with four championships this year: the Women’s Open, Senior Open, Women’s Amateur and the Mid-Amateur. When combined with our decades of golf course maintenance experience, the more courses we visit and championships we support, the better prepared we are to share current, relevant and sustainable golf turf management information with your facility.
Invoices for subscribing to our Turf Advisory Service will be delivered over the next few days. If your course does not receive an invoice mailing please call or email. The cost for a Turf Advisory Service visit in 2012 is $2,400 for a half day (no change from 2011) and $3,400 for a full day. Payment before May 15 th affords a $600 discount – rates of $1,800 and $2,800 respectively. Regardless of payment timing, visits can be scheduled at anytime.
We look forward to partnering with your maintenance operation and working to achieve the best possible product. Call or email anytime.
Source: Bob Brame, bobbrame@usga.org or 859.356.3272