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NEWS FROM MY GOLF GREEN The World's Greatest Greenskeeper. 
 Check these links to great articles and news from previous seasons 2001 News PageMay Update I have some exciting news ... I have started an expansion project. I'm expanding my green from a flat 1000 sf green to a 2 tiered 2000 sf green. I'm excited about this because I don't have any good photos from my orginal construction in 1997/98 and during this process, I will be able to photo document the construction process. Look for news about this in the next few weeks. I've already begun the shaping with delivered materials. I can barely type .. my hands and back are so tired from shoveling. I was a younger man when I built the green the first time. Stay tuned for more. Here is a photo of the existing green and the expansion area, which I have poisoned and covered with plastic and rock for a few weeks to kill off any weeds:  Green Expansion Project ! I found a cool tool at the local rental center that I think can be used to verticut your green. It is a thatcher/lawn puncher that looks pretty old in design. It is black and has lots of sharp tines on a cylinder. Then there is a flat black tray upon which I assume you will place a cinder bloack. This looks like it could do a great job of verticutting .. for anyone who needs to dice up compaction in an existing green. Anyone have luck with this? More horror stories are being heard up here in the northeast ... as a result of the severe snow and ice we experienced late into March (it is still in the 30s/40s at night at the end of April). Many courses have experienced severe damage from ice and snow, many greens have been destroyed and will have to be replanted, resodded. The local supplier of bentgrass is sold out of the stuff, and many private courses are staying closed ... some until June/July ... ouch! Again ... this is a tough profession ... so don'g get down if you encounter some difficulty. If youre green looks good and putts good ... then be very happy. This should be your mantra ... "Look good .. Putt good." Penn G2 I have acquired a 25 pound tub of Penn G2 for the expansion project that I will be working on. I will probably only need a few pounds of the seed, so let me know if anyone would like to purchase some. I will sell it for $30 /lb shipped. This is great premium seed ... Lesco's best and was used at the US OPEN held at Pinehurst No. 2 .. the one that Payne Stewart won. If you remember ... the players were raving and cursing the greens that year. Penn G2 is a newer hybrid bentgrass that was engineered to be more tolerant of heat and humidity, making it an ideal choice for the hot and humid southern states. I haven't added it to the order form .. but I will if there is demand, so just drop me a check and a note if you want some. I have been back-ordered slightly on some cup-cutters and flag sets. Par Aide can't make em fast enough this spring .. so please be patient and add an extra week to your delivery time. I'll ship em as fast as I can. Drop me a line if you want a status update on your supplies ... and thanks for shopping with us ... the revenue keeps this website going for all those putting green fanatics. Here is an early photo of Neil McCray's green in Bristol, VA  April Update At last ... springtime here in New England and throughout the US. Just watched Tiger win the Masters and I have the golf fever going. What a beautiful course. Anyone know what type of bentgrass they use at Augusta? To get you started golfing, check out this link to Geoff Mangum's PuttingZone, a nice site for putting tips. Here are some pics of my putting green emerging from the harshest winter we have had in years. Note the fungus spots. Other than that, things look pretty good, and I am planning on an expansion of the green to a two-tiered green this spring. I'll be posting construction pictures of my project in the future. Right now, I am trying to draw a plan that will incorporate two tiers, a nice slope in between and at least one properly leveled bunker. This project has been enabled by some house construction we did. We just recently screened in a deck and built a larger deck out in front of that screenroom. This edges right up to the existing green causing an awkward area that will need to be filled in. When I fill it, I will expand the green.  --- 
Speaking of Augusta ... I learned one little tidbit during the Masters. They use crushed white marble for their bunkers making them whiter and purer in consistency than most any golf course. If you have some extra $$$ to burn ... go get some crushed marble or get some pure white sand for your bunkers. They look great in contrast to the dark green. The folks at Augusta, water them and roll them to produce a firm bunker. I've been shipping lots of Penncross bentgrass seed to all the springtime planters. Please drop me a line if you are interested in Penn G2, or Pennway Seed. I can get these types from my distributor and will gladly start shipping if there is demand. Penn G-2 is the new hybrid (more expensive) of penncross that is said to be more suitable to hot humid climates, whereas Pennway is commonly used for surrounds, fairways and tee boxes. Contact me for pricing and quantities. LeoMelanson@Mediaone.net Here are some new green photos:  Photo of the 275 sq. ft. putting green I seeded with Penncross in Sept. 2000. I still haven't cut the cups or finished the landscaping, but it's doing quite well. Thanks. -Mike Showalter, Seattle, WA 
 Brian also sent me this cool information from the Penn State Turfgrass site. Great information for planning yuor bentgrass green. Now you can use the same kind used by these great courses. Choose your favorite course or one closest to your area and use that kind of bentgrass.
For those of you into organics, check out USA Amerigro Inc (888) 540-8774. They sell organic fertilizers and custom blends. Amerigro.com. I believe that they deliver. Finally, this website was featured in the "Hot Links" section of Maximum Golf Magazine, a very cool golf magazine. We rcvd 5 stars!!!!! March Update Just rcvd some exciting news from Hudson Sales and Engineering. They introduced a new product at the GCSAA show in Dallas, the Powermate 250, a battery operated greensmower for heavy duty applications, that will be available along with their Series 1 mower which will have different (lower) pricing. These units are available thru putting-greens.com. Just send us an email for pricing information/availability. These environmentally friendly units will be available April 1st. I'll post more information when it becomes available. Just rcvd an order of Books from Ann Arbor Press including "Creeping Bentgrass Mgmt", "Turf Manager's Handbook", etc. and I am very impressed with these in-depth technical books. Any advanced backyard greenskeeper should consider these and other great titles from this publisher who specializes in golf course turf management. Check them out on their website: Sleepingbearpress.com. My backyard is under 3 feet of snow (see pic below), but the orders for my manual are starting to increase meaning that the rest of you are warming up in the South and West. Now is a great time to get started with a putting green plan. It is a great project, and really suited to people that like to take care of their yard, garden or have a green thumb. I really consider this a landscaping hobby more than a golf hobby. If you will enjoy taking care of and nuturing the green, then this is a good project for you. If you just want a practice facility, then maybe a synthetic green would be better for you.  "C'mon melt this stuff ... I want to play golf!" Some new good links: Texas turf Miltona Turf Products Tee to Green Corp. February Update Just returned from a trip to Texas where there was a lot of green grass around, even in February. Texas is one of the hardest places to grow turfgrass for putting greens. The extreme heat during the summer months is lethal to bentgrass. That is why many fine courses choose to use Bermuda. There are, however many courses that continue to grow bent. Obviously, this requires a regular irrigation program which is a major expense item in hot Texas. If you live there, or in a hot climate, this is something to consider, but also remember that your green is a small area compared to a golf course. You may choose to use bent and keep it well irrigated with an in-ground timing system. Your best bet is to consult with local greenskeepers and get their advice as to which kind of turf: Bermuda or Bent to use in your part of Texas. The GCSAA (The Golf Course Superintendants Association is celebrating it's 75th year with a special dues rebate program making it possible to join that fine gruop for just $75. This will allow you to attend a trade show, get Golf Course Maintenance Magazine and have access to their website. You can find out more about this offer at: http://www.gcsaa.org. For Turf Equipment, replacement parts, supplies and irrigation, check out Bel-Air Turf Products, Inc. at http://www.belairturf.com or call them at 800 279-2233 and request a catalogue. They've got lots of replacement parts and golf course accessories including a stimp meter. January Update Greetings and Happy New Year's to all. Sorry for the lack of new posts, but it is hard to get motivated for golf when your under a few inches of snow and freezin. Anyway, golf season is just around the corner (sooner for some of you) ... so for all of you who haven't begun your projects yet, now is a great time to draw up a plan. Plant in the Spring and you should be able to have a year-end golf tournament at the end of the season. My New Year's resolution is to try to add more content to the website and help all of my fellow greenskeepers with tips and good information that I come across. I'll start by recommending Golf Course Maintenance Magazine, available from the Gcsaa.org website. This great mag is full of monthly tips and the latest in scientific information in greenskeeping. It is not for beginners but a great expert resource for hardcores like me. Also, check out some new books from Ann Arbor Press ... at Sleepingbearpress.com. They have some cool new books on golf course management, weed and pest management and greens maintenance. I'd like to get more photos of greens up on the site, so keep those pics (.jpg files if possible) comin and I'll post them in our Photo Gallery on the Photos Page. As always, remember to check out the Discussion Forum on the Chat Page. Here is where you can get any questions answered and some great advice from your fellow greens worshippers. My thanks go out to the visitors to this forum for their questions and help/advice for others just getting started. There is a steep learning curve in backyard greenskeeping, and the experience of those that have managed green is invaluable ... the best part of this website. I'm also always interested in Mowers and maintenance equipment out there. If you have a good mower for sale, I'll post ads for you on the Gear Page. Here, I'll also post everything that I know about mowers, so if you have some good leads, information, or reviews, please let me know so that we can all benefit. As you know ... mowers are the essential piece of equipment in greenskeeping. I'm also interested in any good/new links that you have for the Links Page. If you haven't checked them out, these links will take you to great sites that will help you with your greenskeeping Construction and Maintenence. If you would like to order my manual on the subject or any of our other products: bentgrass seed, cup cutters, flagsets, and Hudson-Star Mowers, go to the Order Page. If you have suggestions for other products you would like me to carry that will be beneficial to greenskeepers, drop me a line. And as mentioned, I will try to bring you more information and tips. I'll post them here in the News Page or on the Info Page where you can find a good general FAQ with the most commonly asked questions. If you have specific questions, look here first. I'll gladly answer any general questions with my advice. Just drop me a line. Good luck and happy backyard putting in 2001. Leo Melanson
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