USGA Green Section Record- October 18, 2024

Creative Cart Paths

Hard-surface cart paths can have a negative impact on aesthetics and playability, but some golf courses need paths in certain areas. Loose aggregates may be an option worth exploring.

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Getting a start on weed control in the fall

The more moderate weather conditions last winter led to extensive winter annual and perennial weed growth this spring. Winter annual weeds including chickweed, purple deadnettle, henbit, several mustard species and glyphosate-resistant (GR) horseweed (marestail) can form dense weed mats that can be difficult to control with spring burndown herbicides. These difficulties can arise from insufficient spray coverage, fluctuating spring temperatures, and timeliness of the burndown herbicide application due to uncooperative spring weather.

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USGA Green Section Record - September 20, 2024

How To Make Your Backyard Putting Green Dream a Reality

Anyone who loves the game of golf has probably dreamed of having their very own putting green at home. There’s no question it can be a lot of fun, but building and maintaining your own green also tends to be more complicated and expensive than people expect. There is a lot to consider and plenty that can go wrong. This article takes you through the key considerations and will help you make decisions about synthetic versus natural grass, location and size of the green, construction methods and much more. We spoke with backyard putting green builders and people who maintain them so you can learn from their experience, get some tips for success, and fully understand the commitment involved.

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Mid-Michigan Matters: MSU to provide grass for FIFA World Cup

Dr. Trey Rogers with MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources shares his experiences with WILX Taylor Gattoni, discussing research and providing turfgrass for the World Cup.

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Tips for seeding lawns in September

Reduced weed competition from summer annuals such as crabgrass, cooler temperatures and shorter day length that results in less time for soil drying all facilitate turf establishment. In many cases, home lawns don’t need complete reestablishment, but only reseeding of small areas or interseeding into a thin lawn to increase density. The following are five tips from Michigan State University Extension for fall seeding success.

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The Secrets of a Successful Turf Reduction Program

Reducing the amount of irrigated turf on a golf course is a great way to save water, but this strategy is not without challenges. Deciding how much turf to remove, and where, can be contentious. Courses also need to figure out a replacement for irrigated turf and a management program for turf removal areas that keeps golfers somewhat happy. In this article, we cover the steps necessary to plan and implement a successful turf reduction program. We look at specific examples from courses that have done it and share the lessons they learned along the way, including the importance of setting realistic expectations about how these areas will look and play.

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Moving On Up: Going From Superintendent to General Manager

For superintendents, deciding to pursue a general manager position can be a long-term career goal or an unexpected opportunity. No matter how it happens, an increasing number of veteran greenkeepers have made the move in recent years and it’s a trend that’s likely to continue. The skill set of a modern superintendent translates well to a general manager role, but there are definitely plenty of new things to learn. Brad Klein talked with multiple superintendents who became general managers to get their thoughts and suggestions for others who may want to follow this path.

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Making Sense of Remote Sensing

Remote sensing technology has the potential to make golf course maintenance more efficient and effective, but there are some limitations to the tools currently available. In this article, we dive deep into some of the remote sensing products and services being offered in the golf course maintenance industry. We look at how they work and how to incorporate them into daily maintenance routines. We also cover ongoing research into how these technologies perform in a turf context.

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MSU Plant & Pest Diagnostics names new director

The new director of both Plant & Pest Diagnostics and the North Central Plant Diagnostic Network is Jan Byrne, PhD. Byrne has worked at MSU as the plant pathology diagnostician since 1999, after earning a B.S. in plant science from Cornell University and an M.S. and Ph.D. in plant pathology from MSU. In addition to her diagnostic role, Byrne teaches plant pathology to students in the MSU Institute of Agricultural Technology and has served as the associate director for the North Central Plant Diagnostic Network since 2003.

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The buzz on the new insect/arthropod diagnostician at MSU Plant and Pest Diagnostics

After 44 years of dedicated service, Howard Russell, also known as Bugman, has retired from Michigan State University. He spent the last 37 of those years as the Michigan State University (MSU) insect/arthropod diagnostician.Starting this summer 2024, Sarah Hughson, PhD, has returned to her home state of Michigan to join MSU Plant and Pest Diagnostics as the new arthropod diagnostician. She earned her B.S. in biology from Saginaw Valley State University and her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois, focusing on western corn rootworm research.

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Broadleaf helleborine: A weedy orchid invading lawns and flowerbeds

Broadleaf helleborine (Epipactis helleborine) is quickly becoming a problem for lawns and gardeners this spring and summer. We have had multiple samples submitted to Michigan State University Plant and Pest Diagnostics. This plant is in the orchid family, Orchidaceae, and is sometimes referred to as a “weedy” orchid. It was intentionally introduced from Europe and is spreading throughout Michigan in lawns, flower beds and along driveways.

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Is maintaining bermudagrass rough under trees a constant struggle at your golf course? Switching to turf-type tall fescue in heavily shaded areas can be an effective solution to tree troubles.

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USGA Green Section Record - July 5, 2024

Figuring Out Fairway Topdressing

Topdressing fairways can be a beneficial practice, but it is expensive and must be done properly to avoid creating agronomic issues. The goals of a fairway topdressing program are to improve the growing medium and playing conditions in the fairways, but it will take time and patience to get the desired results. This article will help you decide if fairway topdressing makes sense at your course and will guide you through some of the key steps in planning and implementing a successful program.

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Pest Management - MSU Extension News - June 13, 2024

Aerial application: A sign of spring crop production

Beginning in late May, aerial applications are a relatively common sight in Michiana agriculture. Most pesticide treatments are applied by ground applicators and are not as visible as aerial application. However, aerial application offers the advantage of covering more acres per day by one applicator than ground application systems

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Top Lawn Care Tips

Along with helping golf courses achieve the best playing conditions possible, USGA agronomists also get plenty of questions about routine lawn care. To help out everyone that is trying to get the best from their yard, we polled our staff to get their top recommendations for successful lawn care. You shouldn’t expect your yard to look like a golf course, but our staff has a few simple tips that should put you ahead of the game on your street.

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Turf & Landscape - MSU Extension News - August 25, 2023

Dealing with storm-damaged trees

Dealing with a yard full of damaged trees can be an overwhelming and sickening feeling for homeowners. In some cases, the decision of what to do with a damaged tree is obvious, but often the decision of whether to try to keep a tree can be difficult. If you are a homeowner or someone who advises homeowners, there are several good resources to assist with the process of assessing storm damage to trees after a storm.

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What Makes a Good Green Committee Chair?

The green committee chair can play a key role in the success of a golf course maintenance operation and the club as a whole, but some don’t approach the job with the right motivations or get enough time to learn through experience so they can leave the course in the best situation possible. In this article, Brad Klein draws on decades of experience working with clubs and specific examples from around the country to highlight strategies for being a successful green committee chair – and some important mistakes to avoid

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Native plants suitable to grow near a drainfield?

Landscaping over your Septic system whether a formal garden or informal one can be tricky. You want to have a beautiful yard but not at the expense of damaging your onsite waste water system.

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New Putting Green Irrigation System Saves Water

Golf has a water problem.

Each year, golf courses around the U.S. spend billions of dollars to keep fairways and putting greens lush and thriving. Depending on where a golf course is located, many courses around the world spend around $1 million each year on irrigation. Meanwhile, more and more golf courses face irrigation restrictions and water rationing.

Putting greens are especially difficult to keep perfectly watered. The grass is grown on a soil mixture that’s predominantly sand, allowing it to drain excess water during rain events. But because sand doesn’t hold water, the grass must be irrigated daily.

That’s a problem that MSU’s Hancock Turfgrass Research Center is working to solve. Thom Nikolai, MSU senior academic specialist, and his team are one year into a cutting edge putting green irrigation project.

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Creating captivating containers
I eagerly look out the window. YES! It’s sunny. I pull up the weather app while I drink my morning coffee. YES! The lowest temperature in the 10-day forecast in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Michigan State University Extension has a table on statewide frost-free dates, which is a great reference for historical averages, and the climatologists are predicting above average temperatures and rainfall for the rest of the month. What does this mean? It’s time to shop for plants!

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When is it safe to clean up my yard this spring?
Bees, butterflies and other insect pollinators must spend the winter in sheltered locations to stay alive in northern climates. However, pollinators are a diverse group. They shelter through the winter in a variety of habitats and emerge on their own schedules. Planning spring cleanup to prevent harm to pollinators means learning about where they might be and when they might be moving to the next stage of their life cycle. In Michigan, some pollinators will emerge on the first warm sunny days of the year while others will remain in their winter shelters until June or July

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Cart traffic causes turf issues at many golf courses. While you may not be able to decrease the number of carts on your course, you can limit their impact with these strategies.

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Grass photography tips for ID: Help us help you!
Identifying grasses can be very tricky, but taking clear photos of key features can help speed along the process. Check out these steps to get the most out of your grass ID requests with Ask Extension, Michigan State University Extension, Michigan State University Plant & Pest Diagnostics and beyond.

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Scholarship applications are opening soon for MSU Extension’s fall online Foundations of Gardening course
Want to plan ahead for a fall gardening course from Michigan State University Extension (MSU Extension)? MSU Extension’s next Foundations of Gardening course runs from Sept. 3 – Nov. 19, with live sessions taking place on Tuesday evenings from 6-8:30 p.m. The online format enables you to participate from home with a variety of learning materials, including videos, readings and weekly live speakers

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