Oglebay Resort gets a new spray program perspective

Nick Janovich, superintendent, Oglebay Resort, Wheeling, W. Va.

Overseeing the maintenance of four courses can be a big undertaking but it’s the reason that Oglebay Resort, Wheeling, W. Va., and Superintendent Nick Janovich were one of the four courses selected to participate in BASF’s Elite Rejuvenation program this summer.

Janovich, superintendent at the property since he graduated from Ohio State in 2008, and his crew of 60 maintains 180 acres of A-4 bentgrass and Kentucky Bluegrass on the Jones Course, Palmer Course, Crispin Golf Club and a Par-3 course all on Oglebay Resort’s property. With that much turf BASF saw Oglebay as a great chance to see its products used on a variety of locations on one property.

Hole No. 6 at Oglebay Resort’s Palmer Course.

Janovich started his new spray program, designed with BASF’s Senior Market Development Specialist Kyle Miller, in April with an application of Emerald on his fairways. According to the spray program, the next application was not supposed to go down until 28 days later which was nerve-racking for Janovich who says he traditionally makes applications every 14 days to 21 days.

After the third week without another application the staff at Oglebay didn’t see any dollar spot or anthracnose problem areas where Emerald was sprayed. The first application was stretched out to 28 days before the courses’ two sprayers were sent out to the course again, except this time with Xzemplar in the tanks.

Following Miller’s program, Janovich was told to let that product sit on the course for another 28 days. To his surprise again the Xzemplar did its job and prevented any disease from popping up on the turf over the four weeks, this time under mild pressure according to Janovich.

A Smithco sprayer fitted with a Turflux RTK GPS receiver makes an application of BASF’s Xzemplar fungicide on June 28.

Oglebay recently made its second application of Exemplar and this time Janovich is very confident in the products and its longevity.

“Before the program I never would have considered stretching out my fungicides for 28 days but this opportunity has opened my eyes,” says Janovich. “BASF’s products cost a little bit more but I can really see the savings at the end of the month when I make one application instead of two.”

To learn more about Golfdom and BASF’s Elite Rejuvenation partnership, click here.