Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Winter Solstice, Winds of Change, and Christmas Wishes!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"!  Today is Tuesday, December 23rd and shortly Mrs. Greenkeeper and I will be on the road to Virginia to celebrate Christmas with our families.  We are blessed to have many family members located so close together back home, and to have the opportunity to see everybody and spend quality time with them in a short span is something we do not take for granted.  This day is also extra special because of two birthdays.  Our daughter-in-law is celebrating her birthday today and my grandfather (my best friend and hero) turns 92 years old today!  He introduced golf to me at a very young age and I cannot put into words how indebted I am to him.  I can't wait to see him!  #GreatestGeneration  

 Sunday marked the arrival of the Winter Solstice and the official beginning of winter.  Thus far December has been slightly colder on average than last year, and fairly dry with nearly one-half inch of rain the first 21 days.  The cooler temperatures and extended periods of cloud cover have managed to keep the course from becoming too dry during this time, but as I write this we have received nearly one-half inch additional rain with considerably more expected in the next 48 hours.  High winds and potential severe weather threats are also forecast.  Expect softer and wetter course conditions the remainder of this month along with considerably colder temperatures.

 The changing of the seasons brings some changes to my department as we approach the new year.  Friday, December 26th will be the last day for my lead assistant, Brett Stowers.  Brett is leaving to embark on a new career challenge with Medallion Athletics in Mooresville.  Brett and his wife Michelle married in late October and he actively pursued the recent golf course superintendent job opening at Rock Hill C.C.  Although Brett was a finalist for the position, the process left him reevaluating his desire to remain in golf course management.  Brett has been a member of my staff the past three years (the last two as Senior Assistant) and I want to thank him for his hard work and dedication.  His efforts helped us usher in some changes to our programs as we stayed on top of technological advances in the industry.  We wish you all the best in your new career.
L to R: Ben Albrecht, Brett Stowers
Assistant superintendents moving on is the natural order of things in my profession, and it is why years ago I established the position of 2nd Assistant in order to have someone available to step up when called upon.  It is with great pleasure I announce to you today Benjamin Albrecht is officially Assistant Superintendent as of Saturday, December 27th.  Ben has worked for me since June, 2008 when he and his long term girlfriend Jess relocated to Charlotte from their home in Warren, Ohio (near Youngstown).  Prior to joining my staff at Carolina Ben worked at both Tamer Win Golf & CC in Cortland, OH and Avalon Golf & CC in Warren.  During the past 6 years Ben and Jess have married and have two children.  Their son Zane is 5-years old and daughter Sky will be two in just a couple months.  Ben has been one of the most dedicated and hard working members of  my staff since his arrival.  So much so he has worked his way up the ranks of the staff becoming a Spray Technician, Assistant-In-Training, and 2nd Assistant.  Ben was just a few credit hours shy of completing his associate's degree in turfgrass management from The Ohio State University when he relocated to Charlotte.  After much prodding from yours truly and battling with Central Piedmont C.C. over the transfer of credits I am happy to report earlier this month Ben successfully completed his A.A.S. degree requirements in Turfgrass Management Technology from CPCC.  I look forward to working more closely with Ben in 2015 as we embark on a new era in my department.    

 Here is an early CHRISTMAS PRESENT to you.  I was briefly interviewed by Golfdom magazine while attending the Carolinas GCSA Conference and Show in Myrtle Beach last month.  Goldom is a monthly publication dating back to 1927 distributed nationally serving golf course superintendents and others in the industry dedicated to golf course management.  The 19th Hole is a one page interview with various superintendents from across the country located inside the back cover of the magazine.  After just being elected to serve on the Carolina's Board of Directors for 2015 and 2016 it was fun to have the opportunity to talk a little about myself, my staff, and Carolina Golf Club.  Hope you enjoy!  If you would like to see the interview in it's printed format there are copies available in the Golf Shop and Main Office. 

For the record, Chad Taylor (L) and Cameron Phillips (R) tied for the Best Dressed prize this past Friday with their matching sweaters.  The staff worked really hard all year and we accomplished many great things on the course in 2014.  It is always nice to have the opportunity to reward their efforts with some goodwill.  Thank you to those members that stopped by during their rounds that day to show their appreciation to the staff!  It really means a lot to me and gestures like that go a long way with my team!

 Well, that's all for now.  It's time for me and Mrs. Greenkeeper to hit the road.  It looks like we will not incur any frost issues during the course closures tomorrow and Thursday.  We worked hard and braved the cold yesterday and this morning prepping the course to the best of our ability in hopes those of you wishing to walk a few holes Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day will find it enjoyable.  The rain forecasted looks to be significant however, so be sure and bring your waterproofs!  I will return to the club on Monday, December 29th and until then my family and I would like to wish everyone at Carolina Golf Club a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!  

 See you on the course,

 Matthew Wharton, CGCS
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Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Things I'm Thankful For!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"!  Today is Wednesday, November 26th, the day before Thanksgiving and before I share my annual list of things I'm thankful for this year, I want to take a moment to talk about another really cool tradition.  Tomorrow Carolina Golf Club is closed.  The gate will remain closed at the street and the clubhouse will be locked.  All club employees are scheduled to be off in order to spend time enjoying Thanksgiving with their families.  I do not know if you fully understand the significance of this gesture, but I'm here to tell you my staff truly appreciates the opportunity to catch up on a little sleep and spend quality time with their children, brothers, sisters, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and etc.

 When you work in the golf industry you spend your holidays at the golf course because that is when the folks we work so hard to please are off from work and desire to play this game we all love and enjoy.  But on this day folks wishing to get in a quick round before the turkey, or maybe a quick nine afterwards are welcome to do so, but it is bare bones golf.  There will not be anybody there to greet you in the parking lot when you arrive, and give you a lift up the hill to the clubhouse.  There will not be anybody there to retrieve your clubs for you or load them onto a golf car.  There will not be a pin sheet or balls on the range tee ready to help you warm up.  The greens will not be mowed or bunkers freshly raked, as that will have taken place the day before.  What will be there are 18 holes of peace and solitude.  You are welcome to walk and even bring guests free of charge.  It is golf in its purest form, people walking and enjoying the grandest of games simply for the love of it, and maybe to get out of the way in the kitchen at home.


Me, I will be here, briefly.  I will rise early, fix a cup of coffee and drive in through the clubhouse gate.  I will patrol the entire course making sure everything is still in its proper place and nothing is broken, damaged or out of the ordinary.  If there is no frost to be concerned with I will drive out the back gate and return home to my family, and if there is frost I will hang around behind the clubhouse to ensure nobody inadvertently damages susceptible turf before the frost lifts.  Frost likely tomorrow morning with temperature near 34 F!  Although Thanksgiving Day at Carolina Golf Club is a fairly new tradition, it is one I am thankful for because of the opportunity it gives my staff, and the quiet, peaceful morning it affords me.
Morning Glory!
I wish I could tell you the course will be it's absolute best tomorrow, but unfortunately the rain this morning is saturating the golf course and making things challenging.  My staff and I will do our best to change holes, mow greens and rake bunkers when the rain stops today, but the wet course conditions will make it impossible to get tractors and blowers on the course to remove fallen leaves.  My apologies in advance for anyone having to invoke the "Leaf Rule" over the next several days!  

 I looked back through my archives (including pre-Blogger days) to see exactly when I started making this annual list.  I guess the summer of 2010 was the inspiration (I'm still thankful that is over) and it has now become a tradition just like the one I described above.  Granted my list is small potatoes compared to the one printed annually in the Charlotte Observer by the legendary Ron Green, Sr., but it is still fun to look back and reflect on the past year.  For those of you dying of curiosity here are links to my lists in 2011, 2012, and 2013.  You will see some things never change while tailoring the list specifically to each year.  

 As for 2014, it was a big year for Carolina Golf Club and your's truly.  Trying to mention everyone and everything I am thankful for in one list is not easy but here goes... this year I am thankful for:
  1. My wife Darless!  We met on a golf course 21 years ago, began dating 20 years ago, and recently celebrated 18 years of marriage.  You are my inspiration to rise and be the best I can be every morning.  I love you Mrs. Greenkeeper! 
  2. My family!  From my 91 year-old grandfather to my 11 year-old granddaughter, I have been blessed with one amazing family (mostly thanks to the lady listed number one).
  3. My faith!  I try my hardest to remain humble because I am not worthy of all the blessings bestowed me this year (most of them occurring here).
  4. The game of golf!  Without this grand game invented centuries ago none of this is even possible.  I thank God for the game of golf everyday.  It is not just a game you and I play and enjoy, but it is the life I live.
  5. These guys!  It was an honor and a privilege to lead this team this year.  These guys worked hard everyday to prepare this course for you and your guests.
    We also had fun showcasing the course on your behalf during the 54th NORTH CAROLINA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
  6. The love, respect and support of Carolina Golf Club!  Your gift to me earlier this year (GIFT) will forever remind me of why I love what I do (cultivating fine turf and preparing championship conditions for the enjoyment of others).
  7. Certification!  I owe a great deal of gratitude to Roger Wolfe, CCM and my wife Darless for their encouragement and support.  They paved the way for me to finally complete a professional goal.
  8. Twitter!  It may seem silly to you on the surface but this social media platform has allowed me to communicate more frequently with members and share information with superintendents from all around the world!  The past year has been truly eye opening.
  9. Green Grass!  Our ongoing experiment this off-season to provide color to the tees and fairways has been well received by you according to your comments and emails.  
    I like it too, winter can be dreary enough without seeing dormant brown everywhere you look.
  10. Being the superintendent of Carolina Golf Club!  The past 10 years have flown by and I sincerely hope you will have me for another 10.  I never tire of the sunrise over the course, I never tire of striving hard everyday to ensure the golf course is the best it can possibly be, and I never tire of playing the best golf course in town!
  11. In a year like this past I feel it is appropriate to have one more thing to be thankful for... I am thankful everyday for the men and women of this country that put their lives on the line around the world so people like me can have the freedom to sit at a desk on a rainy morning and publish lists like this!  God Bless!
Happy Thanksgiving Carolina Golf Club!

See you on the course,

Matthew Wharton, CGCS



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Friday, November 14, 2014

Forrest Gump, Coat of Many Colors, Frost Delays, and Humble Candidate!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"!  Today is Friday, November 14th and Mother Nature is showing her sense of humor again.  The temperature as of 12:30 pm today was 39 F with a wind chill of 32 F (that's freezing), while just a short 48 hours ago we experienced a high temperature of 77 F.  I guess that's why November is a transitional month similar to March... "you never know what you're going to get"!

 Of course it was just 11 days ago we endured our first hard, killing frost of the season when on the morning of November 3rd the low temperature was a record tying 24 F.
Number 5
Number 6



















Number 7

 Since that time the rough has continued turning dormant brown while the closely mowed areas have held on to some color (this is due to soil temperatures remaining elevated at this time of year).  Although the vibrant green we all enjoyed just a couple of short weeks ago began to slowly fade, folks were recently talking about a potential rebound caused by the warm up earlier this week.  Well, I wish that were the case but I must confess the golf course was treated this week to enhance the color contrast between the fairways and rough.
Over the past four years I have been coloring the target greens on the practice range to provide contrast during the winter off-season.  During this time I have expanded those treatments to also include the range tee, par 3 tees, and even select approach fairways (numbers 12 and 16) at one time or another.  With winter approaching and forecasts calling for a repeat of last year the decision was made to expand the treatments to include all closely mowed areas (tees, fairways, approaches, and surrounds).  Essentially I have "painted" the fairways for the purpose of winter color.  The process is considerably less costly than overseeding and without the adverse effects overseeding can cause CLICK HERE FOR REFRESHER.  Also, not only do we get to enjoy the enhanced aesthetics of the golf course, but the darker turf canopy should absorb and retain more heat than if left naturally dormant.  This should enhance the winter survival capacity of the bermudagrass along with a quicker, more uniform green-up next spring. 
Numbers 11 and 12
Number 18
Green "Ribbons"

I am using two different products in order to test and compare for future years.  The tees are being treated with a product called Turfscreen Dormant and the fairways and approaches are being treated with the same product we have used on the target greens and other areas mentioned the past four years.  Thus far the feedback I have received has been overwhelmingly positive.  Even Kris Spence (our restoration architect) stated it reminded him of Pinehurst when he stopped by to look at a few things with me on Wednesday.

 With all this talk about cold temperatures and frost I figured this was as good a time as any to remind everyone the importance of why we do not permit play when there is frost on the golf course.  This is a very common topic discussed at nearly every golf course this time of year, and it is something I have written and blogged about numerous times.  So rather than subject you to reading an old blog post I thought I would add this link to a video produced by the USGA Green Section.  It's less than two minutes long and pretty much sums up the importance of frost delays.  FROST DELAYS 

 Finally, I will be in Myrtle Beach the first half of next week attending the annual Carolinas Golf Course Superintendents Association (CGCSA) Conference and Trade Show.  I will be defending my association golf championship on Monday, attending two education seminars and the trade show on Tuesday, and Wednesday I will be on the ballot at the annual meeting to be elected to the CGCSA Board of Directors.  The CGCSA is one of the largest regional trade associations within the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America.  We consist of over 1800 members, own our own building, have our own full-time staff, publish our own magazine (Carolinas Green), are leaders in the regulatory and legislative arenas in both North and South Carolina in areas affecting the game of golf, and our annual conference and trade show is recognized as the number one regional show in the country.  If elected this would be a two-year term of office and I am humbled my peers want me to represent them and simultaneously honored to represent Carolina Golf Club.

See you on the course,

 Matthew Wharton, CGCS
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Friday, October 31, 2014

Trick or Treat, National Attention, and The Toughest Test!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"!  Today is Friday, October 31st (has it really been a month since I last posted) and one of the best golfing months of the year is coming to a close.  I have a few things to share with you today, and I hope you find them informative as well as interesting and entertaining, so let's get started.

 October is traditionally our driest month of the year, and this year is no exception.  We have only had four measurable rain events at the club totaling just under one inch (0.91").  We have been blessed with clear skies, low humidity, and some absolutely beautiful sunrises.
Number 10
Number 5


Number 10

Number 18 and Uptown Skyline
I don't know about you but I never tire of this amazing feat.  It is definitely a treat to have the opportunity to watch the sun rise over this magnificent property each morning.

 Besides grooming and maintaining the golf course to near perfect conditions, October is also that time of year when we renovate any natural/native areas not performing to expectations.  You may have noticed some recently seeded areas scattered about the golf course, but the most noticeable is located to the right of the cart path on number 10.  The Greens Committee felt this area was too thick and negatively impacted pace of play when individuals spent time searching for errant tee shots.  Although marked as lateral hazard, the decision was made to kill off the predominant stand of broomsedge and reestablish the area with the other native grasses used throughout the property.  The effort here is to create an area that matches our look and feel of the natural/native areas yet provide players a better opportunity to find their golf balls and move play along.

 In other news, the recent story of my book collection courtesy of the wonderful members here at Carolina Golf Club garnered national attention when featured in the October issue of Golf Course Industry magazine.  GCI is a nationwide publication dedicated to serving the hard working caretakers of golf courses everywhere.  Here is a link to the DIGITAL EDITION and our story is located on page 10.  I have made attempts to contact Mr. Tadge, the previous owner of most of the books, but unfortunately I have not been successful as of yet.  I will keep you posted. 

Earlier this week was our annual Tough Day.  This is when we stretch the course to its max and place hole locations that would make the USGA's Mike Davis cringe.  This year was no exception and I really had a lot of fun creating this year's setup.  
There are of course hole locations you have seen before, but I always try and find something new and this year was no exception.  We even had three-time PGA Tour winner Johnson Wagner as a participant and I took to Twitter to gauge his perception of our Tough Day setup.
The fellow Hokie was kind enough to respond with the following...
There you have it folks, Carolina Golf Club Tough Day is the toughest test of golf... ;)  

 Well, as we pull the curtain to a close on October that can only mean one thing, Daylight Savings Time is coming to an end so don't forget to reset your clocks this weekend (#FallBack).  We only have one more big event on the horizon, The Carolina Invitational November 8th and 9th.  The past few years we have been fortunate to experience average or above average temperatures and not contend with significant frost until much closer to Thanksgiving.  At press time the forecast for the next several days does not bode well in that regard.  With morning lows in the low to mid 30's I am expecting potential significant frost and that means our bermudagrass is about to say goodnight and make an early entry into winter dormancy.  The good news is despite the weather outlook for this weekend, I believe we still have plenty of good golfing weather ahead before Mother Nature brings winter to the Carolinas for good.

 See you on the course,

 Matthew Wharton, CGCS
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Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Why We Don't, What Is That, and The Virlina Cup!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"!  Today is Wednesday, October 1st and I want to share a few things with you.  I was asked recently why we don't overseed the practice tee for winter use.  The answer might be more than you expected, but I believe in order to fully understand this decision you need to know all the facts.  

 Carolina Golf Club is located in Charlotte, North Carolina.  This is a region of the U.S. commonly referred to agronomically as the Transition Zone (TZ).  The TZ is a unique and challenging environment because there simply is no single grass type (cool-season or warm-season) best adapted for use in this region.  Unlike golf courses in the deeper south where bermudagrass (warm-season grass) is commonly found growing "wall-to-wall" or further north where golf courses are commonly grassed with a variety of cool-season turfs, the TZ contains many courses like ours where both cool-season and warm-season grasses exist (our greens are cool-season and our tees, fairways, and primary rough is warm-season).

 Our tees, fairways and primary rough are bermudagrass.  Bermudagrass is a warm-season grass that thrives in warm, sub-tropical to tropical climates.  It provides the absolute best conditions possible in June, July, and August when it grows most aggressively, but also provides superior conditions in the spring and fall despite a slower rate of growth.  Bermudagrass is commonly selected for fairway turf in the TZ for excellent traffic and drought tolerance, but in the winter months the bermudagrass enters a state of hibernation called dormancy.  It is during this time the turf completely loses all green color and all growth above the soil surface ceases until the following spring when the plant resumes growth with the return of warmer temperatures.  It is during this period of winter dormancy when bermudagrass in our region is most vulnerable.

 Years ago the overseeding of bermudagrass with cool-season grasses was a common practice for golf courses in the TZ.  It was done primarily with various types of ryegrasses (annual, intermediate, and perennial) to provide green color during the winter months.  In fact, the overseeding of bermudagrass was the basis of my research conducted for my Master's thesis.  If you are really bored or suffering from the most severe insomnia CLICK HERE  to read Overseeded Bermudagrass Fairway Performance and Post Dormancy Transition as Influenced by Winter Overseeding Practices and Trinexapac-ethyl. (Try saying that really fast)

 Typical problems associated with overseeded bermudagrass turf in the TZ are higher rates of winter injury, higher rates of winter kill, delayed spring green-up, and thinning of the base bermudagrass canopy.  This is because overseeding is essentially asking two grass types, with two completely different growing requirements to occupy the exact same space simultaneously.  In order to achieve the desired results with winter overseeding you need to establish the overseeded turf in early fall (late September or early October) and the grass will not be completely eradicated until the following late spring (May or June).  This is why I equate the entire process to having your in-laws move in with you and live under the same roof for 9 consecutive months every year. (Sounds like fun)

 The practice of winter overseeding still exists today in certain areas where the climate is better suited for bermudagrass winter survival, but the practice has fallen out of vogue in the TZ.  Research clearly shows the practice has lasting, harmful effects on the base bermudagrass in the TZ.  At Carolina Golf Club we have chosen not to overseed the golf course in order to provide our bermudagrass turf the best possible environment for growth and survival.  When you stop to consider no portion of the golf course is overseeded, it becomes impractical to overseed a practice tee (considering the risks mentioned above) when doing so does not replicate actual golf course conditions.

 In other words, there are limitations to what our selected grass types can provide us in a year-round situation, and in order to allow our bermudagrass turf to provide superior playing and practicing surfaces the majority of the year, we make a small sacrifice during the "off-season" for its benefit.  The range tee will close for daily use when the bermudagrass goes dormant (typically mid-November) at which time all range use will move to the artificial teeing surfaces.

 When you realize we have already received over 42 inches rain this year, with nearly 6 inches coming last month, it is easy to understand why the golf course is so green.  That being the case it really kinds of make this area along the edge of the 6th fairway stand out.
Test Plots
Close Up View
















These are test plots.  Over the past several years the original common bermudagrass has reemerged vigorously on certain fairways, and the Greens Committee and I decided we would take a look at several herbicide options to examine their effectiveness at eliminating the common bermudagrass.  Of course these products are non-selective, meaning it is impossible to remove common bermudagrass from our desirable hybrid bermudagrass without injuring the desirable turf.  Certain treatments require follow-up applications and the entire area will be removed with a sod cutter next spring.  We will install new turf and observe the areas for any potential reemergence of common bermudagrass.  What does all this mean?  It means right now we are experimenting and examining options.   

 If you are one of my nearly 600 followers on Twitter then you probably figured out I am passionate about the Ryder Cup.

Did you know there is a competition held annually between neighboring golf course superintendent associations competing in Ryder Cup style?  The Virlina Cup is an annual team style golf match between the Virginia GCSA and the Carolinas GCSA.  Eight players representing each association compete in fourball, foursome, and singles matches over two days of spirited competition.
  

 The event originated in 2010 with the purpose of bringing together superintendents with common grass types and climates to foster collaborative working relationships via the spirit of competition and camaraderie.  I was lucky enough to be a part of the inaugural team representing the Carolinas GCSA, and although we lost that year it was an experience unlike anything else I have ever been associated with in the game of golf.  Next week (October 6-7) the 5th Virlina Cup will be contested at Primland Resort in Meadows of Dan, Virginia.  By virtue of winning the Carolinas GCSA Golf Championship last year at our annual conference, I automatically qualified to once again join my fellow superintendents from North and South Carolina and represent Carolina Golf Club in this magnificent event.

 This year's event will be an emotional one as yesterday morning all competitors learned of the sudden and tragic passing of Virginia team member, JD Dickinson of the Kanawha Club outside Richmond.  Although I did not know JD, he worked under Paul Van Buren, and Paul and I were classmates at Virginia Tech.  The golf course industry and the superintendent profession is an extremely tight-knit brotherhood.  When we gather next week it will be with heavy hearts, and I only hope we can all somehow honor JD and his memory with our spirited play.

 See you on the course,

 Matthew Wharton, CGCS
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Saturday, September 20, 2014

Hazel Brown, Appreciated, and Overwhelmed!

Hello and welcome to "The Greenkeeper"!  Today is Saturday, September 20th and a very special day at Carolina Golf Club.  Today marks the first day of our new event, The Hazel (named in honor of the late Hazel Brown).  The event consists of seven flights of six two-man teams (comprised of either two members or a member and guest) competing in our popular Member-Guest match-around format.  Hazel loved match play and was a fixture at this club for decades.  I consider myself lucky to have become a part of the Carolina "family" before his passing.  I always looked forward to my conversations with Hazel and I miss him.  HERE is a short story Ron Green Sr. wrote in 2011 about Hazel Brown and his relationship to Carolina Golf Club!

 It is a beautiful late September day (cloudless blue skies) here at Carolina Golf Club.  My staff and I have been preparing the golf course since way before sunrise and I am called to the clubhouse just prior to the start of today's event (9:00 am shotgun).  I am met by Roger Wolfe, General Manager and members Chris Hughes and Ed Oden.  They present me with a letter signed by 63 members.  


 The letter states, "You have been here 10 years... and it is obvious you still don't know what you are doing.  A few of us kicked in and hopefully, this collection of literature will help you in the future.  Seriously though, thanks for a decade of wonderful work at Carolina Golf Club and we hope you will be here for another 10 years." 

 Under a table cloth in the dining room is revealed a collection of 14 books.  I was informed the collection had been started some time back and recently several more were acquired at auction.  



Words cannot begin to describe how I feel about this most thoughtful gesture!  To have those very people you work so hard for tell you they appreciate you and your craft means the world.  After all, isn't that what we all strive for?  We have entered this career for one reason or another (a love for nature, the outdoors, the game of golf, etc.) but at the end of the day, you just want to know they appreciate and respect the work you did!
Chris Hughes (L) and Ed Oden (R)
After the event starts, I retire to my office and take the opportunity to examine this collection more closely.  I am completely overwhelmed with what I now have in my possession.  These books comprise a history of turfgrass science and management.  The oldest dates back to 1914 and others were published in the 1920's and 30's. 
By Leonard Barron
1914




















O.M. Scott & Sons
1922



















Piper and Oakley
"The Turf Holy Grail"


















Turf for Golf Courses by Dr. Charles V. Piper and Dr. Russell A. Oakley is considered by many to be the "Holy Grail" for turfgrass managers.  They were the original pioneers of turfgrass science.  Dr. Piper served as the very first chairman of the USGA Green Section and Dr. Oakley followed in that role after Piper's death in 1926. PIPER OAKLEY.  In 1998 the USGA Green Section named an award in their honor, periodically recognizing others who have so generously contributed to the programs and activities of the USGA Green Section and the game of golf as a volunteer.

 Other books were previously owned by a legendary golf course superintendent, Mr. Charles Tadge, CGCS Retired.  Mr. Tadge served as president of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA) in 1979 and is a highly recognizable fixture at the annual Golf Industry Show.
Daniel and Freeborg, 1979
Autographed by Authors!






















Dr. Beard
Edited by Horace Hutchinson


















I am speechless, humbled, honored, and thankful.  I do not feel worthy of having these treasures in my possession.  To think this club thinks this highly of me moves me to tears.  I have immensely enjoyed the past ten seasons, and I sincerely hope I am lucky enough to be here for many more.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart to each and every member who helped make this possible!  Thank you Carolina Golf Club!

 See you on the course,

 Matthew Wharton, CGCS 
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