Response to article in GAP's monthly magazine "Is Your Course Down with brown? If Not It Should Be."

Recently there was an article posted in the Golf Assoc. of Phila. monthly magazine titled "Is your course down with brown? If not is should be." Sean Remington stated in the article "...nearly all of the group's (members of the Philadelphia Association of Golf Course Superintendents) 300 members are adopting brown techniques to varying degrees." We are part of this group! Since my arrival at Hartefeld National, I have implemented many new turfgrass management techniques, all these programs are based on a more progressive and sustainable approach. This approach allows for less costly inputs into the turf, freeing up valuable resources and more importantly, produces an excellent playing surface. Some of the members at Hartefeld have questioned some brown areas on the course throughout the year. We are doing exactly what these Superintendents speak of in this article. Although some brown is good, I feel it is also important to manage your membership expectations when it comes to turf management. If any of you have been privileged to play at Huntington Valley, I can assure you the management of the turf color would not be acceptable here at Hartefeld. That is what the members at HVCC want. There are times of the year when I am hardening off the turf, preparing it for the summer and winter stresses. Yes, I would like to push the turf a bit more, let it brown out a bit more, but that isn't what is acceptable here. Allowing the turf to stress at certain times of the year allows the plant to be stronger when we need it to be.

In the article, the three Superintendents mention areas on their properties where they have reduced inputs and allowed some brown. In the next few paragraphs, you will see what we have reduced and/or changed to decrease costly inputs into Hartefeld, yet still produce excellent playing conditions.

From an irrigation standpoint, I have introduced some changes that has decreased our irrigation input by over 30%; this includes a new state of the art central irrigation control system. This new control system includes a rain sensor to cutback on costly irrigation when rain events occur. I also installed part circle irrigation heads around our greens. Previously, to apply water to the green surrounds at Hartefeld, the full circle green's heads would need to be utilized. This process kept the greens wetter, producing a less than desirable putting surface. Utilizing part circle irrigation heads, I can irrigate only the surrounds, not putting a drop of water on the greens. This allows me to keep the greens dry, while still producing a desirable surround.

My IPM and BMP programs include a very aggressive wetting agent and penetrant program. We apply a wetting agent every 2 weeks on our tees and fairways and a combination wetting agent/penetrant to our greens. This allows me to decrease my water input and interval. Using 30% less water at Hartefeld has also decreased the need for fungicide applications.

My IPM program also includes a less traditional more progressive approach to turf disease management. Going back to building a sustainable turfgrass system, I utilize phosphites throughout the growing season. PO3 or Phosphite is naturally produced in a grass plant and is what helps the plant fight diseases. By applying very inexpensive phosphites and raising the level in the plant, certain costly nuisance diseases (brown patch and pythium) are not an issue for us. Growth regulators are heavily utilized at Hartefeld as well. All of our playing surfaces receive growth regulator applications from March until November. We do not apply growth regulators to reduce our mowing frequency, we use these to keep the plant healthy and to create a more desirable playing surface. There are also several other benefits to using PGRs.

Organic fertilizers are utilized heavily at Hartefeld National as well. I would need far more space than what I have available here to explain the benefits of organic fertilizers, but they to help produce the sustainable turfgrass system we are achieving. Not one of the mentioned above is a silver bullet, all of our IPM and BMP's work together to produce our sustainable system and playing conditions.

I hope the above has helped to explain and show that our programs here at Hartefeld are on par with Superintendents like Matt Shaffer and Scott Anderson at Merion and Huntingdon Valley.