A look at GIS and other things to come in 2019
If you read our last blog of 2018, then you got a look back on some of our best moments of the last year. And although 2019 may bring some similar moments, we are looking forward to creating some new experiences for you and your customers. With that being said, let’s take a look at just a few of the things we have in store for this year.
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From GIS to GIE and everything in-between
Another year has gone by, and although we at LebanonTurf are excited to head into 2019, we want to reminisce on some of the great moments 2018 brought us.
The Greatest Golf Show in the Industry
It’s no secret that we love attending GIS and we think 2018 was one of the best years yet. While in San Antonio, we saw two Flyaway Geese dogs find their new golf family, voted on Dog of the Year (congrats, Shasta!) and launched a new program that minimizes stress and maximizes playability of putting greens by combining two of our most industry-respected brands.
The True Performance Turfgrass Program gives superintendents the opportunity to save money by combining products together that help their turf. Country Club® MD products provide reliable, long-lasting nutrients to the turf, while Emerald Isle Solutions™ products provide quick and effective nutrients and biostimulants that combat stresses such as heat and drought. The program is based on independent, university research conducted at Purdue University, the University of Arkansas, Auburn University and the University of Florida that illustrate the program’s effectiveness.
For 2019, we have enhanced the program to be more flexible for superintendents by allowing all the products in the Country Club MD and Emerald Isle Solutions lines to qualify for the tiered rebate offer.
We also gave away some great prizes and talked to a lot of folks about how our products can transform their turf. If you are planning on attending GIS this coming year in San Diego, make sure and stop by booth 4127. It’s going to be another must-see!
100th PGA Anniversary at Bellerive Country Club
When you are celebrating 100 years of tradition, it’s a big deal. And the staff at Bellerive Country Club didn’t take this opportunity lightly. Months of planning and preparation went into hosting the 100th PGA. The course features different varieties of turfgrass like zoysia and fescue which stay dense and lush with the help of our slow-release ProScape® 25-0-5 1% Fe 51% MESA®.
Our products that feature MESA technology, an innovative nitrogen source that combines the benefits of methylene urea with ammonium sulfate in a single, homogeneous granule, provide brilliant color, quick initial response and long-term feeding all without excessive surge growth. Iron adds additional color benefit which is why Bellerive uses it every year.
Being part of such a big anniversary was truly special for us and we’re glad our technology was a part of it all.
GIE+EXPO
In October, our team attended the GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Kentucky, which is the place for landscapers to talk everything from equipment to technique to products.
Our goal was to focus on combination fertilizers — specifically the ProScape® family. These products allow customers to do multiple jobs in one application, such as fertilizer with weed and insect control, fertilizer with pre and post emergent weed control and starter fertilizer with pre-emergent weed control. We received a lot of buzz and excitement at GIE from people in the industry surrounding this line of products.
In 2019, we are looking forward to attending both GIS and GIE+EXPO again as well as focusing on our customers by continuing to make great products and provide a satisfying user experience. For more information about LebanonTurf, our products or how to improve the quality of your turf, visit our website.
A day in the life of a golf dog
It’s no secret that at LebanonTurf we have a soft spot for our furry, four-legged companions. From our sponsorship with the GCSAA Dog Day’s of Golf Calendar to our partnership at the Golf Industry Show with K9’s for Warriors and Flyaway Geese, we love to see pups with a purpose.
Continue readingFocusing on combination fertilizers
Two weeks ago, LebanonTurf attended the GIE+EXPO in Louisville, Kentucky. For those of you who don’t know what that name entails, it is the much-anticipated annual Green Industry and Equipment Expo. This is the place for landscapers to talk everything from equipment to technique to products.
Continue readingIf you’re like most superintendents, part of the draw of managing golf courses is the fact that you like working outside. Unfortunately, from time to time, being a superintendent does require significant amounts of time being spent inside your office. When you feel a chill in the air and see the leaves on the trees start to change color, you know it’s time to begin the annual ritual of preparing the next season’s budget and maintenance schedules. At its very core, that preparation helps ensure that you’ll have all the necessary money, equipment and products to provide the expected playing conditions on the course for the next season…in theory, at least.
Until such a time as we find a reliable crystal ball to depend on, we’re all stuck with this process. From the business aspect of running a golf facility, it’s absolutely critical. As much as we’d like to focus solely on managing the turf, the economics of our department is the largest expense of the entire facility. Making sure that the company coffers are filled with sufficient resources to allow us to run the Turf Management Center the way it needs to run is heavily dependent on our ability to be as accurate as possible in terms of providing a budget.
Since none of us are confident that we know what Mother Nature will throw at us months in advance, budgeting becomes a “best guess” exercise based on what’s happened previously. We all know that when the time comes, what really happens will dictate what needs to be done. This is the paradox of our industry. No matter how well we plan for the next season, there will be unexpected circumstances we never anticipated.
Hopefully all of us know that planning is just that—planning. And plans change. Flexibility is key to developing an effective and workable budget for any given year. If the weather is unusually dry, then hand watering with extra labor will likely be required. If the weather is wet, that will probably dictate more use of fungicide to sustain playable turf. No matter what, your budget plans need the ability to change in order to stay relevant. That’s the real key to success.
Good luck as you wade through this headache-inducing process that is ultimately changed by whatever Mother Nature throws at you. Much of your value as the superintendent at your facility is your ability to react to those conditions while not breaking the bank in the process.
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For more information about LebanonTurf, our products or how to improve the quality of your turf, visit our website.
Prepping Your Turf For the Next Season
It’s no secret that most people are excited for fall to come back around — the weather cools down, the bugs are less annoying, and it becomes more pleasant to spend time outdoors. But while you are excited for fall, your customer’s turf is preparing for dormancy.
Continue readingAdditional flexibility in product choices and a tiered rebate structure provide greater value
LEBANON, Penn. (August 21, 2018) – Building on the success achieved in 2018, LebanonTurf has announced several enhancements to the depth and scope of the True Performance Turfgrass Program. New this year, the company is adding more flexibility for qualifying product selection and a multitiered rebate structure based on the volume of each customized program.
Continue reading| Date | Event | Location |
| Oct. 17-19, 2018 | The Green Industry & Equipment Expo | Lousiville, KY |
LebanonTurf keeps course looking lush in national spotlight
When you are hosting the PGA Championship, it’s a big deal. But when you are hosting the 100th PGA Championship, it becomes an even bigger deal. So, it isn’t surprising to know that Carlos Arraya, director of grounds and agronomy at the Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri, had preparations going months in advance of the championship.
“I told the staff and the entire volunteer team, that it’s the 100th — so we had been preparing for that for some time. It was a special day on the calendar and anniversary for the PGA, and a lot of hard work had gone into that,” said Arraya.
Bellerive Country Club is a unique course that features different varieties of turfgrass like zoysia and fescue. Both do well with high traffic and stripe nicely, meaning Arraya knew the turf would present well visually both in person and on television.
Zoysia, a warm-season turf is tolerant to heat and wear. Fescue is a cool-season turf but shares many of the same attributes as zoysia such as being more resistant to heat and wear.
Senior assistant superintendent, Jared Brewster thinks Bellerive Country Club might have the densest rough he’s ever seen because of the LebanonTurf fertilizer applications.
“You can get zoysia tighter but not as healthy as we have right now all throughout the course,” Brewster said.
Meaning that the turfgrass is as thick as it can be while still remaining healthy. Brewster attributes this to the Lebanon ProScape® 25-0-5 1% Fe 51% MESA® which they use a half-pound Nitrogen at a time.
“It’s a good blend of ammoniacal, nitrogen plus urea — little bit of slow release so it gives us about a month’s worth of feeding for the turf and keeps it lush. It does have a lot of iron in it too and gives it that good color so, we like it.”
Bellerive Country Club uses this slow-release product on their roughs and fairways in the fall and spring to keep their turfgrass in good condition.
“We find ways to incorporate it every year because it’s done a good job for us. Basically, that’s the exclusive brand we use on those surfaces,” Arraya said about the ProScape 25-0-5.
ProScape 25-0-5 1% Fe 51% MESA® is one of Lebanon’s proprietary fertilizers that use MESA technology. MESA is an innovative nitrogen source that combines the benefits of methylene urea with ammonium sulfate in a single, homogeneous granule. Meth-Ex® 40 slows down the release of the ammonium sulfate. This combination provides brilliant color, quick initial response and long-term feeding all without excessive surge growth while iron adds additional color benefit.
Overall, the 100th PGA Championship was just as thrilling as it is every year but something about the anniversary made it even more special — as well as the whole staff and crew at Bellerive Country Club.
How Superintendents Are Using Border Collies to Remedy Their Bird Problems
As one of our main customers, LebanonTurf cares about keeping golf courses healthy and beautiful. We also care about other companies that feel the same — so this post is going to shine some light on one that is keeping courses safe as well as a little furrier.
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