Golfdom, June 2011

PLANT HEALTH SERIES PART THREE 18 Golfdom June 2011 A Supers PHOTO BY ISTOCK INTERNATIONAL INC LEFT PHOTO COURTESY STONE CREEK GC I believe a successful superintendent strives to create synergy in everything The current golf economy has placed incredible pressure on superintendents to maximize results with minimal resources The fact is that every golf turf maintenance operation is taxed with the axiom do more with less This has made synergy even more important Synergy is a method of finding ways to make the sum of the individual parts equal more than the collective individual value Superintendents researchers and vendors are finding this synergy in the area of plant heath chemistry Superintendents have always been interested in As plant health gains traction in the industry superintendents gain knowledge on the subject BY ANTHONY L WILLIAMS CGCS CGM products that can protect agronomic resources for a reasonable price they know that their personal job security is linked directly to it I was taught an interesting test to gauge the number of products that are put before a superintendent for review First keep all of the business cards that are presented to you by sales representatives for a set time say 60 days visible on your desk On the back of each card write the number of products that were pitched to you in each meeting Adds up doesnt it My record is 18 cards that combined for 64 different products This is proof that in todays golf industry the superintendent is given more products and program options than ever The key is to be able to analyze and quickly tell the difference between innovations and imposters Lets look at plant health products and scrutinize their value and benefits based on the way a superintendent would by evaluating the product label research and personal testimonials from successful superintendents who have used these products in their programs Show me the label One of the current hot topics around golf maintenance facilities is the growing list of plant heath products that offer a true synergy of benefits more than just basic disease