Old Ranch Old Ranch Country Club Seal Beach, California

Case Description:

Don Parsons had been knowledgeable about salt since he was a youngster. He'd always used it liberally on steaks and chops. He loved the way it made his food taste. As he got older and more health conscious, however, he began to worry about ingesting too much of it. In recent years, he's reduced his salt consumption and believes he should cut back even more. But Don never regarded salt as a hazard to turfgrass until he moved to Old Ranch in 1984. Old Ranch Country Club is located near the ocean in Seal Beach, California, just south of Los Angeles. Don observed that, as the weather got warmer and dryer in early June, some of the predominantly annual bluegrass turf turned yellow, especially on poorly drained sites and in low areas where water tended to collect from surface runoff. By late June, some of the yellow turf turned brown and died. As the summer progressed, the quality and playability of the golf course declined as more turfgrass deteriorated. With the arrival of the winter rainy season, beginning in November, the salt-damaged turf began the process of recovery. Within a few months, the entire golf course was green again and apparently in good condition. As he prepared for the next season of play and the many challenges he would face as a golf course superintendent, Don began to wonder if, in subsequent years, it would be possible to go through an entire season without a repeat of the salt-related problems that plagued his first year at Old Ranch.

Recently, Don has been considering injecting fertilizer nutrients, along with powdered gypsum, directly into the main line supplying water for irrigation. The equipment and modifications required at the pumping station to accommodate chemical injection into the irrigation system would necessitate a significant investment of the Club's resources. Don wonders if he can sell this idea to the membership.

Study Materials:

• Irrigation Water Quality
• Calculating SARw
• Sodium/Salinity Harzard Chart
• Salt-Affected Soils
• Turfgrass Salinity Tolerance

Assignments:

One group will be assigned the responsibility for making a presentation containing the following elements:

A brief synopsis of the case description
A detailed analysis of the facts presented in the case description
A list of the issues emerging from the analysis
A broadly stated strategy for addressing the issues
A detailed action plan for implementing this strategy
This group should also prepare a report using the format that follows and submit hard copies along with appropriate attachments to on the date shown in the course schedule.

Download *Format* for Preparing Your Case Report