| Volume 2, Issue 1 |
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Spring 1995 |
Interview: Glenn Smickley,
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club
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September 15, 1994, 4pm on a warm afternoon, former President Gerald Ford is about to officially open the first Presidents
Cup Golf Tournament thus ending close to 9 months of anticipation
and hard work.
For Glenn Smickley, that hard work started in September
of 1989, when he first arrived at Robert Trent Jones Country Club.
"When I first saw this course, they were in the middle of
construction and I knew I had my work cut out for me, but I saw
it as a tremendous challenge and a great opportunity."
Glenn graduated from the University of Maryland,
turf grass management, and started his career as superintendent
of Heildelberg Country Club outside of Reading, PA. In 1986 he
took over the responsibility of managing Kennett Square Country
Club. "I grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania and I wanted
to be close to my family, but I also felt more at home in this
moderate climate where I knew I could grow bent grass."
When Glenn arrived at Robert Trent Jones Country
Club, in Lake Manassas Virginia, he began planting bent grass
across the entire course. "Every one told me that you can't
grow bent grass in this climate, but we did anyway and now everyone
down here is converting their courses." As Glenn points out,
"the environment here is slightly more severe than in the
Philadelphia market with humidity being a much greater problem."
The native soils are a heavy, red, Virginia clay
Glenn Smickley
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club
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with a relatively poor percolation rate. The greens are constructed
"I have always believed in feeding the
soil and the importance of microbial activity."
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from an 80/20 blend of sand and peat. The same mixed is used as
a top dressing. The sand was sourced out locally and was described
as a loamy sand, but met USGA specifications.
"We grew in the course with slow release nitrogen
sources and Urea and had a great grow-in until July 3 of 1993."
That day sticks in everyone's mind that works on the course, and
when you talk to Glenn's assistants about any problems they had
that year they all repeat in unison, and now with a bit of a laugh,
"July 3rd!!!"
"It was a hot and humid weekend and we went
out to fairway and green #2 and fairway #10 and saw complete wilting
and I new we were in trouble." Thinking that they were dealing
with Phythium, they sent samples off to a number of Universities
and suffered a series of mis-diagnoses. "It wasn't until
July 23 when we finally got confirmation that we had an outbreak
of Take-All Patch." By that point they had lost 80% of #2
green and 60% of # 2 & 10 fairway.
For the next few months, Glenn and his staff worked
diligently at stopping the disease and tried to re-seed. "The
weather was hot and humid and the seed was very slow to take."
In looking for some answers, Glenn gave a call to a fellow superintendent
who recommended that he try using Black Rock Phosphate to help
him with seed germination. Black Rock is a rock mineral source
of phosphorous that is very stable in soil but has been shown
to have as good a release pattern as acidified sources of P when
nutrient tie up is taken into account. "I had never heard
of Black Rock and had no idea where to buy it, but was referred
to EARTH WORKS. They were not only able to get me
Black Rock, but they were the first soil consultants to incorporate
a true biological approach and explain it in a way that made sense
agronomically."
Glenn started using Brookside Labs in the Fall of
1990 for soil testing and recommendations. "I feel that they
really help me put my soils into balance but the EARTH WORKS
soil profiles go beyond the chemistry and clearly show
the biological management aspects of our soils... these tests
have been very valuable to us."
A complete EARTHWORKSsoil profile
program on numerous greens and fairways began in the fall of 1993.
Typically these tests are taken in spring and fall but because
of the tournament a more aggressive approach was taken. "It
was interesting to track the tests and see just how things were
changing." The CEC levels on the greens were better than
most sand greens that the company tests ranging in the 2.0 to
3.0 range.
"The chemistry was off at first, but we adjusted
that and started focusing on the soil biology. We started working
on green #8,
"They (Earth Works) were the first soil
consusltants to incorporate a true biological approach and explain it
in a way that made sense."
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historically one of our weakest greens. We applied
the compost product JUNGLE GREENS on #8 and used
the 5-4-5 Natural Organic on other sites and saw
an improvement immediately."
The soil profiles showed some significant biological
deficiencies as indicated by a large gap between organic matter
and humus, P1 & P2 and deficiencies in nitrate and ammonia
activity in the soil. A program was developed to stimulate microbial
activity in the soil to help in the mobility of nutrients and
provide a "checks & balances" of beneficial bacteria
to help fight the Take-All pathogens. "We were told by many
Universities, that we would be dealing with the Take-All Patch
for at least two to three years, we didn't see anything this year
and really had a great year."
Another approach that was stressed was an aggressive
calcium nutrient program. "Calcium was one thing that Brookside
Labs stressed to us and when Earth Works started to focus on calcium,
it drove the point home." Calcium levels on the course varied,
but were good for the most part. The soluble soil tests showed
poor calcium mobility and increasing microbial activity of the
soil helped Ca mobility. A program of hi-cal lime, gypsum and
N-HANCE (12% calcium in Humic acids) improved the
calcium base saturation and fed the plants foliarly.
"I really liked the results we got from N-HANCE.
One of the USGA agronomists noted how tall our Penn Cross was
growing, I'm convinced the N-HANCE has helped this
and helped in suppressing our disease problems."
MEAT & POTATOES!!!
C:N RATIO REVISITED
We tried to discuss the concept of carbon and its
relationship with nitrogen in our first newsletter in an article
entitled "Protoplasm Management - The C:N Ratio". An issue this
important needs to be reviewed every so often, and unlike the
first time, I think that we can make sense of this go around!!!
When you look at the soils C:N relationship from
a 'Meat & Potatoes' standpoint, it may be easier to understand.
First, it is important to understand that soluble nitrogen is
protein and represents the meat in this scenario and the organic
fractions of the soil are the potatoes or the carbohydrate portion
of our meal. Both are of great importance in providing the body
(in this case the soil microbes) the needed balance that allows
for optimum growth.
It doesn't matter what form of nitrogen
the soil is presented ... it still breaks down in the same fashion.
Once the fancy coating is dissolved, it still runs through the
nitrification process
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The key term here is "balance". If we
lived on nothing but steak, ate it for breakfast, lunch and dinner,
we would find ourselves to be very lazy and most likely sick much
of our lives. We need some energy food, in the form of carbohydrates,
in this scenario this is the potato. Carbohydrates are what give
us the ability to "go". Runners bulk up on pasta the
night before a big race so that their bodies have "go food"
stored up.
In soil it works the same way, but it's the micro-organisms
that we're feeding. Microbes need the same balance of protein
to carbohydrate (C:N or actually N:C!) that our bodies need. When
we suddenly introduce an excessive amount of protein to the soil,
in the form of nitrogen, without providing a form of carbohydrate,
we are upsetting this balance. The soil microbes are going to
try to digest this protein (meat), and in the process break it
down to plant usable forms of nitrogen, but they need to have
the energy to do this. This energy comes from the available organic
fractions of that soil, microbial potatoes! If the organic matter
is not replaced in digestible forms the soil is gradually depleted
of its humus. This phenomenon is what is commonly known as "burning
out a soil".
It doesn't matter what form of nitrogen, sulfur
coats, plastic coats, long chains or short, the soil is presented,
it still breaks it down in the same fashion. Once the fancy coating
is dissolved, it still runs through the nitrification process,
going from a urea form to ammonia, nitrite and eventually a nitrate
and into the plant. All of this is done by microbial action. These
microbes must have the energy to break all this protein down.
This energy comes from an available sources of organic matter,
primarily humus. Material such as grass clipping or thatch is
very undigestable and is not a good source of available carbohydrate.
A trick that farmers have used for years and many
golf course superintendents are experimenting with, is adding
simple sugars (white table sugar or molasses) to a spray tank
mix to provide soil microbes with an extremely available form
of carbohydrate. This is a "candy bar effect" for the
soil - it provides that quick energy that allows for a burst of
activity.
The best way to beat soil "burn out" is
to feed the soil so that there is a constant supply of quickly
available carbon (sugars and kelp meal), for a burst of energy
and long chain carbons (composts and humic acids) , for a more
sustainable supply of food.
*** NEW DISTRIBUTORS***
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FISHER & SON, INC.
MALVERN, PA
610 644-3300
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Fisher & Son, Inc. is one of the leading distributors
of turf products covering Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey,
Delaware and Maryland. Their sales staff is very technical and
helpful consisting of former golf course superintendents and turf
management professionals.
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R. F. MORSE & SON, INC.
E. WARHAM, MA
518 659-2541
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R. F. Morse & Son, Inc. have been serving the
New England market for four decades and have built a reputation
for being one of the most progressive golf course supply companies
on the East Coast. They are also known for "getting the job
done" quickly and efficiently.
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The Making of The Presidents Cup
In January of '94 the first talks began with Robert
Trent Jones club officials about hosting the new PGA tournament
to be known as the "Presidents Cup". By March the talks
had died, but on April 20 the call came in and the Cup was awarded
to the club.
"It was an exciting day, but things really
started to move fast from that day on," explained Glenn Smickley.
On the first Monday in May, the newly chosen team captains of
the American team, Hale Irwin, and the International team, David
Graham, came to play the course. "They loved it and had a
great time, but they both thought that this was is a tough course".
There were people in and out on a regular basis
from that point on, everyone from golfers to PGA tour officials
and CBS. Glenn was most involved with the PGA tour agronomist,
"The PGA tour agronomist came in early May to make the first
of many visits and came up with a list of general recommendations,
but really didn't make any changes. We did have the crew picking
rocks out of the rough for a few week, though, and boy was that
a popular job!"
One change that the PGA did want was increased green
speed. "We were running green speeds around 8.5 and they
wanted speeds up to 10.5. With all the disease pressures we had
last year, this was making everyone around here a bit nervous.
We had a hard long and cold winter, but the summer was not too
bad and we came through with no Take-All patch."
The CBS "fly-over" was mid July and by
the first weekend in August they were in setting up scaffolding
and platforms for their cameras. Glenn reflected with a strained
smile, "On August 8th all hell broke loose." That was
the day that they tour up the great lawn and moved to a plastic
matt on the driving range. It was also the day all the big trucks
moved in with the cooperate tents and platforms. "It was
a mad house, there were people running all over the course with
trucks and scaffolding, and we were still getting a good flow
of golfers through here, and we needed to be ready for a major
tournament in one month."
On the first week of September, the TV cable trucks
showed up. "There must have been miles and miles of cables
run all over the course, it was unbelievable. Now there were more
people than ever running all around and everybody wanted to play
the course."
During the last few weeks before the tournament,
Glenn and his staff were working the greens to keep the green
speeds up and were cutting the roughs high. "By the time
tournament week rolled around, it was really pretty easy. We were
doing a lot of hand watering, the fairways and tees were being
cut daily. The greens were being double cut in the morning and
double cut and rolled in the evening."
"On the Saturday of the tournament it rained
so we couldn't cut in the afternoon so we quadruple cut on Sunday
morning to keep greens speed. It was a hell of a lot of work,
by all of us, but it was a great tournament and I can't wait for
the next Presidents Cup."
WELCOME
We would like to welcome our new distributors, FISHER
& SONS of Malvern, Pennsylvania, covering eastern PA,
and New Jersey, and R.F. MORSE & SON in West Warham,
Massachusetts, covering all of New England. EARTH WORKS
is growing and these new relationships represent that
growth. For a complete list of our distributors, please give Claudia
a call in our office.
The process of finding someone to represent us was
not an easy one but we feel very fortunate that we have found
companies that are extremely professional and all very enthusiastic
about what we represent - Biological Soil Management. Our
"SOIL FIRST" consulting is still available
by contacting one of our distributors or by giving our office
a call directly. We hope these new relationships help us to better
serve you by freeing us up to do what we do best - talk
soils!!!
I would like to thank Glenn Smickley from
Robert Trent Jones Country Club for taking the time to
sit down with us for this interview. Glenn offered us a wonderful
opportunity to see the workings of a major tournament, and we
have learned a great deal from working with him. I would also
like to congratulate Glenn and his wife on the birth of their
new baby girl!!!
EARTH WORKS is a manufacturer of a complete line
of Natural Organic products with the technical expertise to help
you in all aspects of your soil/turf management position.
Please give us a call at 800 732-TURF
if you have any questions or comments.
SOIL FIRST
is published by
EarthWorks
Natural Organic Products
6574 S. Delaware Drive, P.O. Box 278K
Martins Creek, PA 18063
1 800 732-TURF
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