The “Lowe”– down on 2014

In keeping with the theme of this issue, which is “Year in Review” according to my official 2014 Golfdom Editorial Calendar, I decided to contact Todd Lowe, senior agronomist with the USGA Green Section, to ask him not only about Florida, but to see what feedback he may have gotten from his counterparts across the United States.

I met him for lunch down in Naples, Fla., after he finished conducting an annual visit at the Naples Lakes CC. We came up with seven topics that seemed to headline the past year. These topics and their particulars will naturally vary in importance based on your region, weather and demographics. I am indebted to Todd for sharing the comments from his fellow Green Section agronomists.

Employment: With the current slow economic rebound, course closings and decline in numbers of golfers, it has been hard to find or keep good employees. Several reasons were cited; 1) More higher-paying construction jobs to compete with, 2) E-Verify system affecting the migrant labor pool, and 3) Minimum Wage Laws affecting lower budget operations, forcing crew reductions.

New grasses: The use of Ultradwarf bermudagrasses for greens in the Transition Zone has increased, providing an alternative to only having cool-season grass greens. This also includes two new Oklahoma State University bermudagrass releases developed with grants from the USGA for fairways and roughs — Latitude 36 and Northbridge.

Water: The drought situation in the West has already been well documented, and water availability remains an issue in many regions. If it’s not No. 1 on your list of concerns, consider yourself lucky.

Technology: Two new products made their debut in 2014 and will hopefully have a positive effect on weed control: PoaCure and Spectracide Total. I realize that poa/bent greens are common in the Northern regions, but in the South it is considered a weed in most overseeded greens. In the South, we’re hoping that Spectracide Total might be that non-selective herbicide to replace MSMA.

Bunkers: No doubt bunker maintenance can be an expensive line item in the budget, depending on the number of bunkers and the proper construction of those bunkers. Todd mentioned three products/technologies that have shown positive results in reducing the number and severity of bunker washouts after rain events. These aren’t all brand new, but they did get positive mentions around the USGA Green Section staff this year: Better Billy Bunker, Bunker Solution and Capillary Concrete.

Social media: As social media grows along with the many devices of the new age of technology, more superintendents and clubs are using email, blogs, Twitter and Facebook to communicate with members and the public. A noticeable surge took place last year, according to reports from Todd’s cohorts around the country. He estimates that nearly 10 percent of superintendents are using blogs to communicate with members. It is a great tool, especially for keeping golfers engaged about projects during the off-season.

Last but not least, course renovations and construction improvements were also a prevalent factor over the last year. Many of the courses built in the great ‘Golf Building Boom’ in the 1980s and early 90s are in need of rejuvenation. And in keeping with the many initiatives to grow the game, new tees and other player-friendly features are being added to courses.

These were the top seven topics that Todd and I came up with that we believed were the biggest golf maintenance factors across the country in 2014. Agree? Disagree? Think of a big one we missed? My email is below.