the project, the scientists were aware that annual bluegrass weevils were over-wintering in the leaf litter and pine duff on the course. During the spring warm-up, greenskeepers tried using landscapers' large vacuums to remove the weevils as the insects migrated toward the greens. "It's very experimental, but I think it has some potential," says Grant.

The fungus Anthracnose also was problematic at times on the greens, its appearance probably the result of turfgrass weakened by stress. Rather than fight the problem directly with fungicide, an effort was made to reduce the stress by manipulating traffic on the putting surfaces.

The greenskeeping staff changed the hole locations on beleaguered greens, reduced the "clean-up passes" when mowing around the green and sometimes had to set up temporary surfaces to allow the greens to rest.

Extending the battle against Anthracnose and other pests, Rossi and Grant took a radical step: They raised the mowing height on half of the greens from .12 of an inch to .18 of an inch. The longer grass should reduce the stress on root systems, rendering healthier plants. "Letting the bentgrass grow that high is a huge change in the world of golf," says Grant.

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Contact: Blaine P. Friedlander Jr.
bpf2@cornell.edu
607-255-3290
Cornell University News Service
6-Jun-2002

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