Joe Gulotti joined me to give the doublecut treatment to the top posts of 2025 on the ATC blog, plus a bit of holiday extravaganza.

• Blog post discussed is: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/top-10-posts-2025/
• National Links Trust updates: https://www.nationallinkstrust.org/whats-happening-now
• Petition to keep D.C.'s publich courses out of political control: https://www.change.org/p/keep-dc-s-public-golf-courses-out-of-political-control
• 2022 Talking Greenkeeper Holiday Extravaganza: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/micah-woods-phd-iv/id1435947281?i=1000590700618
• 2023 Talking Greenkeeper Holiday Extravaganza: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-micah-woods-annual-holiday-special/id1435947281?i=1000639222356
• 2024 Talking Greenkeeper Holiday Extravaganza: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-micah-woods-phd-annual-holiday-extravaganza-episode/id1435947281?i=1000680710300
• Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/
• Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/
• Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/

Find out more about soil tests with ATC at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/
See GCSAA Conference seminars at https://gcsaaconference.com/

When grass clippings are returned to the turf, the quantity of nutrients required as fertilizer is decreased. In this episode I discuss how I handle the clippings returned situation.

• Blog post discussed is: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/clippings-removed-or-returned/
• Also discussed how to get a quick estimate of grass nutrient use: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/how-to-arrive-at-that-number/
• Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/
• Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/
• Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/

Find out more about soil tests with ATC at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/
See GCSAA Conference seminars at https://gcsaaconference.com/

The #MLSN method for nutrient recommendations involves an MLSN value that the soil is not supposed to drop below. But what does this value mean, when converted from the usual units of ppm (mg/kg) to how many years it would take grass to use that much of the element? 

• The blog post discussed is https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/soil-nutrients-and-extra-beer/
• Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/
• Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/
• Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/

Find out more about soil tests with ATC at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/
See GCSAA Conference seminars at https://gcsaaconference.com/

This episode explains the steps I'd take to change greens from too hard (surface hardness and ball bounce, not hard as in difficulty) to just right. It follows that the opposite steps could be taken to move greens from too soft to just right.

The blog post discussed is https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/to-keep-green-soft/
The ball bounce video from Dan Dinelli is at https://youtu.be/r1LV77z_Ziw

Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/
Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/
Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/

Find out more about soil tests with ATC at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/
See GCSAA Conference seminars at https://gcsaaconference.com/

Expressing sand quantities as a depth makes communication easier. But to know the depth, you need to know how much sand was applied to begin with. I've been surprised at how many turf managers don't know the exact amount applied. This short episode explains why I think you should measure sand amounts.

• Blog post discussed was https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/sand-topdressing-by-depth/
• Sand rate unit conversion calculator at https://asianturfgrass.shinyapps.io/om246/
• USGA video on measuring sand https://youtu.be/7tPilHP5QiA
• ATC video on measuring sand by exact methods https://youtu.be/6LurONpyg5M
• Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/
• Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/
• Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/

Find out more about soil tests with ATC at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/
See GCSAA Conference seminars at https://gcsaaconference.com/

I explain how I answered a couple questions about how much N and how much sand a particular grass might require. Specifically, I recommend adjusting N based on #ClipVol and sand based on #OM246.

Blog post discussed: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/sand-nitrogen-measuring-guessing/
OM246 calculator: https://asianturfgrass.shinyapps.io/om246/

Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/
Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/
Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/

Find out more about soil tests with ATC at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/
See GCSAA Conference seminars at https://gcsaaconference.com/

The New York Golf Economic & Environmental Impact Report has interesting results for MLSN and ClipVol usage in New York. 58% of golf courses measure clipping volume and 47% interpret soil tests using MLSN.

Blog post: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/survey-says-mlsn-clipping-volume-golf-courses-new-york/
Full report: https://www.newyorkgolfimpact.org/

Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/
Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/
Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/

Find out more about soil tests with ATC at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/
See GCSAA Conference seminars at https://gcsaaconference.com/

Piper and Oakley wrote that "there is nothing mysteriously beneficial in their formulas" and that mixed fertilizers are "extensively advertised" but "are not to be recommended." Arthur wrote that soil testing is a "commercial gimmick" and that fine turf with clippings collected needs only "a little nitrogen in spring, no phosphates, and very little potash."  I recommend an article I wrote that attempts to explain this in the context of #MLSN.

Blog posts discussed are:

- https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/very-generally-used-not-to-be-recommended/
- https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/jim-arthur-mlsn-and-precision-fertilization/

• Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/
• Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/
• Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/

Find out more about soil tests with ATC at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/
See GCSAA Conference seminars at https://gcsaaconference.com/

I explain why I recommend collecting soil nutrient samples to a 10 cm (4 inch depth). I also discuss the importance of repeated soil sampling in order to check the change in test results over time. I look at a photo gallery from the 2025 Danish Golf Championship.

Posts discussed include:

• https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/recommended-soil-sampling-depth-for-turfgrass/
• https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/a-pesticide-free-golf-course/

PACE Turf post about Vixen 7x stand loupes: https://www.paceturf.org/memberedition/where-to-find-small-magnifying-loupes

• Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/
• Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/
• Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/

Find out more about soil tests with ATC at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/
See GCSAA Conference seminars at https://gcsaaconference.com/

My Short Grammar of Greenkeeping book is one of the required books for turf class at Horry-Georgetown Technical College in South Carolina. Professor Jim Huntoon joined me to discuss the book, why he uses it for teaching, and how the internship (or summer cooperative work experience) program works.

• We discussed this post: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/i-wrote-a-book-and-you-can-read-it-this-weekend/
• Get your own copy of the Short Grammar at https://leanpub.com/short_grammar_of_greenkeeping
• For more about the turf program at Horry-Georgetown, see https://www.hgtc.edu/academics/academic-departments/engineering-technologies-sports-turf-management/golf-sports-turf-management.html
• See more from Professor Huntoon at https://www.instagram.com/huntoonjmsc/, https://www.instagram.com/hgtcgolfsportsturf/, and https://x.com/huntoonjmsc

• Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/
• Find a suite of decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/
• Get free ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/

Find out more about soil tests with ATC at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/soil-tests/
See GCSAA Conference seminars at https://gcsaaconference.com/