2024 Conference March 5th - 7th, 2024
2024 Seminar Descriptions
1. What’s New Concerning Crabgrass, Goosegrass, and Sedge Control
8am-10am RICC • NE Pest Credits: 2-3B, 10, Pvt, Cl & Dl • 1⁄4-Day Seminar - 0.20 GCSAA Education Points
Instructor: Mr. Steve McDonald, Turfgrass Disease Solutions, Inc., Spring City, PA
The Seminar will cover the in-depth biology of three common weeds in fine turfgrass areas including crabgrass, goosegrass and sedges. These weeds can become extremely invasive and compete with cool-season grasses. Weed ID and biology will be outlined in detail. Cultural methods to suppress weeds will be highlighted. Herbicide timing, product use, safety and best application techniques will be discussed so that attendees will be better equipped to limit these weeds.
2. Accountability; It’s Everybody’s Responsibility
8am-12pm RICC • 1⁄2-Day Seminar – 0.35 GCSAA Education Points
Instructor: Ms. Lori Hoffner, Supporting CommUnity, Inc., Littleton, CO
Accountability: the obligation of an individual or organization to account for its activities, accept responsibility, and to disclose the results in a transparent manner. It is the expectation we have for ourselves and others, but how often do we meet it? In today’s ever challenging work environment, it’s critical that we find ways to have accountability transparency. Discussion will include ways that can win your team’s hearts, minds, and commitment to create a philosophy of accountability that everyone can embrace. Lori will discuss how to remove fear, increase skills, grow confidence and reliability of your crew.
3. Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late: Understanding Soil Borne Pest Prevention
8am-12pm • NE Pest Credits: 4-3B, 10, Pvt, Cl & Dl • 1⁄2-Day Seminar - 0.35 GCSAA Education Points
Instructors: Dr. James Kerns, North Carolina State University & Dr. Joseph Roberts, Clemson University
There are many challenging pests to manage in turfgrass systems. Pathogens that attack roots, stolons and rhizomes are even more challenging. Stealthy soilborne pests can wreak havoc on your below-ground plant system only to be noticed thru foliar symptoms when it’s already too late. This seminar will focus on diseases that attack roots, stolons and rhizomes in cool-season grasses and will cover the current state of knowledge surrounding the cause, epidemiology, and management of these pests. Learn more about the soilborne world to help implement the current state of cultural and chemical control measures available in 2024.
4. Entomology 102: Hands On Turfgrass Insect ID
8am-12noon RICC • NE Pest Credits: 4-3B, 10, Pvt, Cl & Dl • 1⁄2-Day Seminar – 0.35 GCSAA Education Points
Instructors: Dr. Steve Alm, URI, Dr. Olga Kostromytska, UMass & Dr. Ben McGraw, PSU
A three-member team of turfgrass entomologists will provide instruction and detailed descriptions of insects and their biology via slide presentations. Attendees will view insect specimens through microscopes and hand lenses. This seminar will focus on the identifications of the insect and its forms during its life cycle. The ability to positively identify these pests and to know their biology will contribute to the success of controlling outbreaks and infestations.
5. Golf Course Bunkers: Restoration, Renovation and Placement
10am-12pm RICC • 1⁄4-Day Seminar - 0.20 GCSAA Education Points
Instructor: Mr. Mark Mungeam, Mungeam Golf Design, Douglas, MA
Golf courses are ever changing due to players, maintenance practices and natural environmental forces. These influences could cause features to be in need of repair and renovation over a period of time. Out of shape bunkers could be the most complicated feature to restore, renovate or to improve due to their influence on play and their importance to the aesthetics of the golf course. Golf architects try to look at the features of a golf course from all sides that could involve suggestions of reshaping, re-grassing, repositioning and sometimes even removal of bunkers all in the hope of improving the golf course and the ability to maintain these critical features.
6. Turf Sprayer Systems, Calibration, Safety and GPS
10am-12pm RICC • NE Pest Credits: 2-3B, 10, Pvt, Cl & Dl • 1⁄4-Day Seminar - 0.20 GCSAA Education Points
Instructor: Mr. Jim Nedin, Jim Nedin Consulting, Inc., York, PA
Turfgrass spraying equipment continues to grow in technology and complexity. With modern turfgrass products application volumes being so low, then the equipment to apply them has to be able to monitor those application that more accurately. Proper equipment configuration, like proper nozzle sizes, are critical to proper application operation. This modern equipment must also be working correctly to apply these products properly. Jim’s experience in the operation and design of sprayers will aid operators in determining if your equipment is operating accurately and efficiently to receive the results you expect.
7. What’s On the Horizon: Everything from Y to Z
1pm-3pm RICC • 1⁄4 -Day Seminar - 0.20 GCSAA Education Points
Instructor: Ms. Lori Hoffner, Supporting CommUnity, Littleton, CO
Understanding the dynamics of younger generations increases your opportunity for recruitment and retention of members of these generations either as staff or consumers. Together learn the differences between Gen Y-Millennials and the up-and-coming Gen Z. Better understand how today’s young adults, teens and youth think trends in education, employment, and the offline experience and how it impacts the way the younger generations interact in the “real world”. Learn to create an environment of cooperation and open-mindedness that will help you communicate across these unique and powerful groups.
8. Best Management Practices for Fine Fescue High Grass Areas
1pm-3pm RICC • NE Pest Credits: 2-3B, 10, Pvt, Cl & Dl • 1⁄4 -Day Seminar - 0.20 GCSAA Education Points
Instructor: Mr. Steve McDonald, Turfgrass Disease Solutions, Inc., Spring City, PA
High grass areas can be challenging to maintain due to high weed pressure and their potential to get “too thick”. When these areas become invested with weeds and/or too thick, these areas become unplayable not to mention unfindable to golfers. These areas then become maintenance taxing to golf course operations when they are designed to be lower costly areas. High grass areas create interest, add beauty, and increase the challenge of the course. Discussion in this seminar will include how cultural and chemical practices with proper timing will help to maintain weed free pleasing fine fescue areas.
9. After-Cut Appearance Starts with Understanding Mower Technology
1pm-5pm RICC • 1⁄2-Day Seminar – 0.35 GCSAA Education Points
Instructor: Mr. Jim Nedin, Jim Nedin Consulting, Inc., York, PA
This seminar will explore the relationship between rotary and reel mower applications, quality of cut and after-cut appearance. It is not just all about appearance to the eye, it is also about quality of cut and how it affects the grass plants. Discussion will review the engineering behind proper cutting unit set-up, presentation of qualified research that has identified best practices and how to properly identify and resolve quality of cut and after-cut appearance issues.
10. Using Biologicals and Microbes to Manage Fine Turf
1pm-5pm RICC • NE Pest Credits: 4-3B, 10, Pvt, Cl & Dl • 1⁄2-Day Seminar – 0.35 GCSAA Education Points
Instructors: Dr. Jim Kerns, NCSU, Dr. Joe Roberts, Clemson University & Dr. John Inguagiato, UConn
Pesticide use have developed into mainstream topics and government regulations to limit pesticide use in turfgrass systems. It is likely that you have answered questions surrounding the use of pesticides at your sites. In considering IPM strategies for your site, do you really know what alternatives are available ? This seminar will cover biological products for turfgrass pest control, how they work, and new research currently underway to enhance efficacy of these products in turfgrass systems.
11. Marking Your Golf Course for Competitors and General Play
3pm-5pm RICC • 1⁄4 -Day Seminar - 0.20 GCSAA Education Points
Instructor: Mr. Max Doctoroff, New England Section of PGA, Dedham, MA,
This presentation will provide guidance on course markings to help players proceed without needing a ruling, to give all players fair and equitable outcomes and to manipulate course difficulty as appropriate for your player’s skill levels. Some attention will be given to Rules of Golf implications of course markings, but attendees are not expected to have an expert understanding of the rules. Max will explain the applicable rules you need to know to properly and simply mark your course.
12. Better Drainage Means Better Conditions
3pm-5pm RICC• NE Pest Credits 2-3B, 10, Pvt, Cl & Dl • 1⁄4 -Day Seminar - 0.20 GCSAA Education Points
Instructor: Dr. Jim Murphy, Rutgers University
The goal of all turfgrass managers is to improve their property, the playing condition and maintain the facility at its highest potential. When soils become wet and saturated the turf becomes weakened, unplayable, or even worse, unrepairable until something changes. This seminar will address drainage concepts ranging from stormwater runoff to the unique soil characteristics affecting the percolation of water. By draining wet problem areas, the turf will become healthier, roots will grow deeper, plants will improve their ability to uptake nutrients, and disease will be less of an issue. These benefits will improve the quality of turf in that area.
13. Grass Tennis Court Management
8am-5pm RICC • NE Pest Credits: 2-3B, 10, Pvt, Cl & Dl
This seminar will include several Instructors from the turf industry including Drs. Ebdon (URI), Henderson(UConn) & Murphy (Rutgers) and other professionals giving their insights to managing first rate fine turf tennis areas here in New England and in the northeast.
14. Full-Day Cemetery Management Seminar
NE Pest Credits: 3-3B, 10, Pvt, Cl & Dl; NE Credit: 1-3A RICC
This full day seminar will include several instructors from the cemetery industry including Dr. Murphy of Rutgers University and Dr. Scott Ebdon of University of Massachusetts speaking on varies topics concerning turfgrass management, trees, monuments, and historic features of cemeteries in the northeast.