Graduating turfgrass science student Brian Tencza was recently selected by the Jacobsen Company as one of 30 students from throughout the U.S. to attend the 2009 Jacobsen Future Turf Managers' Seminar. This all expense paid seminar will to be held at Jacobsen’s Headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina May 18-21, 2009. The program provides students the opportunity to visit some of the nation's most prestigious golf courses and interact with several of the top professionals in the turfgrass industry. One of the golf courses Brian will be visiting is Augusta National, home of the Masters Tournament and currently ranked the number 2 golf course in America. While at Augusta, Brian will have the opportunity to meet with Augusta’s golf course management team. In addition to visiting golf courses, sports turf venues, and networking, attending students will be given the opportunity to tour Jacobsen’s facilities as well as operate Jacobsen turf equipment. This will help to better prepare students for their future roles as turfgrass professionals.

Jacobsen’s Future Turf Managers' Seminar is open to one graduating baccalaureate student from seventy-one universities throughout the United States. This year 30 students were selected to attend the symposium. The seminar provides students the opportunity to network with leaders, as well as future leaders of the turfgrass industry.

Brian is graduating this May with a B.S. degree in Turfgrass and Soil Science. Brian is also a Ratcliffe Hicks graduate receiving his A.S. in Ornamental Horticulture and Turfgrass Management in 2007. After the conference in Charlotte, Brian will head to Glen Arbor Golf Course in Bedford Hills, NY where he will begin his career as the Second Assistant Golf Course Superintendent.

Much of the work on the grounds is for aesthetic purposes. Greens are about performance.

"If you talk to a golfer, they want to know green speeds," said Kevin Mathias, a turfgrass management professor at the University of Maryland who helps with the greens for local PGA events. "You could have a brown green from a golfer's perspective, but if it's smooth, they're fine."

The greens are mowed to seven-sixty-fourths of an inch -- and never with a riding mower, so as not to damage the green -- and measured for speed.

Mathias lifts a chute 20 degrees and rolls three balls down it. Each should roll 12 1/2 feet. On Friday morning, the balls roll just 11 feet. Moisture from rain showers created increased friction.

That means the crew must "roll the greens," which smooths the grass and increases the speed by as much as a foot.

"Sometimes we won't roll if there are greens that are faster than others," said Lucas Black, 20, the application foreman and a former Mathias student. "We'll skip the roll so we catch the other ones up and keep them consistent."

The location of the cups changes daily on each hole. Andy Stair, 21, an intern from the University of Connecticut, entrenches a cylinder apparatus into the ground, lifting the piece of earth. Roland Weeden, 26, a full-time employee, plants the cup and the flag in its place. For July 4, it is a U.S. flag.

Later in the day, a man such as Marion Toms, 65, collects the flags. Toms collected the flags the night before, driving his golf cart from hole to hole. Whether he is gathering the flags or finding the tees, Toms has arrived to work at Congressional for 46 years without complaint.

"It's something different every day," Toms said. "You never know what's going to happen. Mother Nature rules."

By Ron Hall

STORRS, CT — An ambitious program investigating the potential for turf-type tall fescues and fine-leaf fescues to play a greater role in preserving water quality and also conserving water is getting high marks in Connecticut.

In fact, what researchers are learning about these two species in regards to producing acceptable-quality lawns and parks with less irrigation and fewer nutrient inputs (at least compared to other popular cool-season grasses) is starting to attract favorable attention from state and regional environmental agencies.

Read entire article here.

The University of Connecticut’s Annual Turfgrass Research Report is published as a means of providing timely dissemination of current research findings. The purpose of this report is to encourage the exchange of ideas and knowledge between university researchers and members of the turfgrass industry. Research summaries included within this report are designed to provide turfgrass managers, extension specialists, research scientists, and industry personnel with information about current topics related to managing turfgrass.

This report is divided into various sections and includes original research findings and reviews in the fields of pathology, weed science, athletic field maintenance, fertility and nutrient management, soil science, and others. Additionally, abstracts and citations of scientific publications and presentations published in 2007 by University of Connecticut turfgrass researchers are included. This information is presented in the hopes of providing current information on relevant research topics for use by members of the turfgrass industry.

Special thanks are given to those individuals, companies, and agencies that provided support to the University of Connecticut Turfgrass Research Program.

Download the report at www.turf.uconn.edu/reports.shtml

The University of Connecticut Turf Club would like to thank the Connecticut Association of Golf Course Superintendents for providing funding to students attending the 14th annual GCSAA Collegiate Turf Bowl in Orlando, FL. Through their generous support, the Turf Club was able to send ten members to the collegiate competition. A lot of hard work went into preparing for the 4-hour exam, as review sessions started meeting last fall. The hard work paid off as this year’s students placed very well among the record breaking 92 teams participating in the competition. UConn’s top team, consisting of David Golembeski, Brian Tencza, Benjamin Goossen, and David McIntyre finished in 12th place among all undergraduate teams. A second team of Andrew Stair, Jonathan Wilber-Suchanek, Robert Deasy, and Sara Paetsch also had a strong showing, finishing 31st. In addition to the undergraduates, graduate students Alex Putman (advised by John Kaminski) and Nate Miller (advised by Jason Henderson) took the top spot among all competing graduate students. Teams from Iowa State (1st), Purdue (2nd - 4th), and Penn State (5th) took the top five spots.

In addition to participating in the Turf Bowl, David Golembeski received an individual honor. David was recognized for his academic achievements by receiving the coveted Mendenhall Award. This scholarship is the top award given out by the GCSAA’s Scholarship Program, and is just one of many awards David has received in his time at the University of Connecticut.

Additional support was provided by the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Emmanuel “Mike” Hirth Family Endowment Fund Scholarship, and the Albert Mann Memorial Fund Scholarship. Again, the Turf Club would like to thank all those that contributed to this experience. This opportunity would not have been possible without your continued support.