The Doublecut with Micah Woods

John Petrovsky is manager of USGA Green Section Education. He is also the host of the USGA Green Section podcast. We discussed a recent episode about GvX that had an especially insightful quote from Chris Tritabaugh. Also, the U.S. Open, championship golf, clipping volume, and even a bit about MLSN.

Links for topics we discussed include:

• USGA Green Section Record free subscription https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/green_section_record.htm
• the golf course shown with the Eiffel Tower view is Golf de Saint-Cloud, https://www.golfdesaintcloud.com/
• blog post about GvX and Chris Tritabaugh quote: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/any-kind-anywhere-any-level/
•  GvX post about zero-handling problem: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/gvx-clippings/
•  the SI calculator for soil test levels at any probability https://asianturfgrass.shinyapps.io/turfsi/https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/gvx-clippings/
•  OM246 example reports with tables of normal values by species https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/om246/
•  the GSS summary article https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/RG49P
•  how much OM is too much https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/how-much-om-is-too-much/
• 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/

Geoff Fenn and I discussed the use of the turfgrass growth potential (GP) in the UK, optimum temperatures, the GvX, clipping volume, and more in this episode that started with a look at this blog post:

https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/number-between-1-0-using-the-turfgrass-growth-potential/

• See also this on GP and adjustments: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/regarding-gp-and-adjustments/
• All posts tagged "growth potential:" https://www.asianturfgrass.com/tag/growth-potential/
• Connect with Geoff on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/geoff-fenn-aa2ba242/) or X (https://x.com/Geoff_Fenn)
• 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/

I discussed some green speed and green firmness data from measurements made at the Sky RKB Ladies Classic tournament, and I explained why the geometric mean rather than the arithmetic mean can be especially useful (and safe) when dealing with soil nutrient data.

Green speed change from morning to afternoon: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/speed-drop-morning-to-afternoon/
The geometric mean as the central tendency (average) for soil nutrient data: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/geometric-mean-as-central-tendency-for-soil-nutrient-data/

• 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/

In this episode I picked some of my favorite photos from 2024, and I remembered what I learned from them. From roots, layers, OM246, zoysia greens, and drought, to loupes, turf farms, compost, and bermudagrass.

• I discussed this post: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/flights-favorite-turf-photos-2024/
• Here's the sand vs. compost ball bounce video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=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/

There have been a lot of conversations about soil water content and surface hardness (firmness). I discuss some measurements that I have made, and suggest some of the old posts on the ATC website that discuss this topic.

Specific posts discussed include:

• https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/measuring-surface-hardness-on-greens-fairways-and-approaches/
• https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/relationship-between-soil-water-and-turfgrass-surface-hardness/
• https://www.asianturfgrass.com/tag/surface-hardness/

• 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/
• Listen to the ATC podcast network https://podcasts.asianturfgrass.com/

Jason came up with the GvX idea in a flash of inspiration that he describes here. This is the actual growth of the grass compared to the expected growth of the grass, and it has surprising practical implications. We discussed the development and use of the #TurfGvX in this episode.

• We discussed this blog post: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/explaining-gvx/
• See the GvX screencast video at https://youtu.be/mRJcEhOyxPA
• 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/

Achieving the lowest possible #OM246 total organic material value is not desirable, because the living plant material is part of the OM measured with this method. 

• I discussed this post: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/om246-measures-living-om-too/
•  @keyakeeper469  and I discussed 8 years of OM246 in https://youtu.be/8B3FQhvSIdI
• OM246 project page https://www.asianturfgrass.com/project/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/
• Listen to the ATC podcast network https://podcasts.asianturfgrass.com/

A common way to calculate average daily temperature is to take the sum of the daily maximum and daily minimum temperatures, and to divide by two. A better statistical approximation of the average temperature is to take measurements made every hour and then to find the mean value of those continuous measurements.

This blog post shows a comparison of the three methods for 2024 data at three locations: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/calculating-average-daily-temperature/

• 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/

Joe Gulotti joined me to discuss his new job, The Talking Greenkeeper, and the ten posts on the ATC website that no one (practically) read in 2024.

• This is the post that lists all the "bombs:" https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/ten-posts-no-one-read-2024/
• The Talking Greenkeeper catalog is at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talking-greenkeeper/id1435947281
• 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/
• Listen to the ATC podcast network https://podcasts.asianturfgrass.com/

Although turf research is often done with fertilizer treatments applied at constant rates and on a fixed calendar schedule, that way of supplying nutrients seems strange to me now. I explain why in this episode, and suggest a better method.

We discussed this post: https://www.asianturfgrass.com/post/fertilizer-schedule-seems-strange-to-me-now/

Read more about all kinds of turfgrass topics at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/
Get ATC newsletters at https://www.asianturfgrass.com/newsletter/
Turfgrass information and decision-making tools at https://www.paceturf.org/
PACE Turf YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/paceturf
ATC's YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/asianturfgrasscenter