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Posts Tagged ‘golf course’

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This machine is mine.

Posted by mynormas on August 19, 2015

In a recent previous post and even in a magazine article, I wrote that in the month of August, turf machinery be washed extra clean, polished even, and a national flag tied to the machine; not merely as a show of patriotism but more so that the machine operators take a little bit more care for their machine instead of just hosing it down at the end of the day, every day.

Why August? Because coincidentally, the National Day of Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia fall in this month and many of my readers are from this region (WordPress allows me to trace the country of origin of readers).

Yesterday I happened to visit one of those golf courses that did this. The superintendent told me how he picked a Saturday afternoon when most of the machinery were back at the workshop and called for a staff meeting. After the usual briefing, he told them about the programme and gave them time to wash their machines.

One operator, after vigorously washing his machine, found that he could not tie the flagpole to the machines’ roll-over bar because the roof was wider than the bar and there wasn’t any other place to tie the flag. Guess what he did? He dismantled the roof and tied the flag to the roll-over protective structure. He was willing to not have a roof for a month (the superintendent will take the flags back after Malaysia Day on 16th Sept) just for the flag. And he’s not even a Malaysian.

He took off the roof so he can tie the flag.

He took off the roof so he can tie the flag.

The superintendent told the bunker-rake machine operator that he need not worry about his machine because it was too small and too old to clean up. The staff member protested, not only did he wash his machine extra clean, he took some paint and painted all the metal parts of the machine – dozer blade included, black. The superintendent gave him a flag which he proudly displayed on his machine. And he’s not even a Malaysian.

He painted the metal parts black so that he can be allowed to put the flag.

He painted the metal parts black so that he can be allowed to put the flag.

The point is not about the flag but the effect that the programme had on the workers: they owned the machines. Suddenly it is ‘my’ machine and I want my machine to be the cleanest it can be because I want to put on a flag. Follow up this with a training on how to look after the machine and I’m sure the machine will last a little bit longer with less maintenance stress as compared to a machine that did not ‘belong’ to anybody. I mean, “who washes a rented car”?

I got that quote from a book I read about 25 years ago titled ‘In Search of Excellence’ written by – if I am not mistaken – Tom Peters. An example he gave was the ground crew chief of a squadron of jet fighters that had the best maintained planes compared to other squadrons. The crew chief’s secret was, instead of a crew looking after the right wing, another one looked after the left wing, one looking after the cockpit and so on, he gave them all each a plane to look after. One crew, one plane. “How did that work in creating excellence?” he was asked. His answer was that because each one of them now ‘owns’ a plane, they had a greater sense of pride and responsibility to that particular plane of theirs. “After all” he said “who washes a rented car?” I might be paraphrasing because hey, it has been about 25 years ago but I believe the gist is there.

I also believe the credit should also go to the crew chief for his innovativeness and in this context, the superintendent for his role in firing up the workers. I mean, if he had sat in his office and gave the flags to the supervisor who would give the flags to the mechanic who then gave the flags to the operators; the effect would not be the same. So what worked? Maybe it was his speech, maybe it was the look in his eyes, maybe it was because he helped wash a few machines, maybe he held a big stick, maybe he promised them a reward or maybe it was already a culture in that place, whatever it was, it got the result that he wanted. It was actually more than I imagined, I can tell you that.

Its still not too late for Malaysians, at least, because the flags can remain on the machines till 16th September which is Malaysia Day. The cheapest flags I found was at Mr. DIY (biar kami rugi asal anda puas hati) at RM2.50 each. Or we can try and do something else. Or we can try finding one excuse or another to not do anything and complain about everything. It is a choice. Up to us.

Posted in Golf Course | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Ogos

Posted by mynormas on August 3, 2015

Kita ada 12 bulan dalam setahun. Kepada kita yang menjaga padang rumput; bulan yang mempunyai signifikan hanyalah bulan puasa iaitu bulan yang kita lakukan kerja-kerja penyelenggaraan lebih dari biasa dan bulan Disember yang kita anggap sebagai bulan ‘puaka’ kepada mereka yang negatif ataupun kepada mereka yang positif; bulan cuti kerana ini adalah bulan monsun yang mana tak banyak kerja yang kita boleh buat. Malahan kerja rutin biasa seperti potong atau baja (pupuk) juga menjadi masalah.

Saya ingin mencadangkan supaya bulan Ogos di jadikan sebagai ‘bulan mesin’ untuk kita di Malaysia, Indonesia dan juga Singapura yang menyambut hari kemerdekaan pada bulan Ogos ini. Saya cadangkan supaya bulan ini adalah bulan di mana kita bukan sekadar guna water-jet untuk tembak air cuci mesin, tetapi di bulan ini kita akan menggunakan berus dan shampoo kereta untuk mencuci minyak lama, rumput di celah-celah mesin dan tempat duduk dan sebagainya.

Setelah puas hati bahawa mesin adalah bersih sebersih-bersihnya, maka kita pasangkan bendera negara kepada mesin itu untuk menandakan secara simbolik bahawa mesin itu sudah termasuk ke dalam kategori paling bersih.

Kita bukan mahu membuat kenyataan politik (kalau mahu pun peduli apa sama orang lain?) ataupun mahu menunjukkan berapa patriotiknya kita (kalau mahu pun apa salahnya?) tapi untuk kebanyakkan kita yang mahu tahu whats-in-it-for-me maka ia adalah untuk melanjutkan usia mesin kita dan menambah kebanggan pekerja tentang mesin mereka dan juga untuk kita menunjukkan kepada pelanggan dan kepada boss kita bahawa kita bersifat innovatif dan mempunyai inisiatif. Bukan kah nanti lebih senang untuk kita nak minta beli mesin baru satu hari nanti bila kita boleh beritahu dia secara tidak langsung bahawa kita MEMANG penjaga mesin yang berwibawa? Mesin baru tu MEMANG di perlukan, bukan kita tak tahu jaga mesin lama…

Bila boss atau pelanggan datang dan lihat mesin mengibarkan bendera, dia akan tanya; apa hal? Kita beritahu dia bahawa ini adalah ‘bulan mesin’ dan bendera itu hanyalah simbolik kepada pencucian dan kebersihan mesin di kalangan mesin lain.

Hanya untuk shampoo kereta/mobil yang berharga USD1 -2 sebotol, bendera dan batang penyapu pada harga yang sama serta cable tie  yang berapa cents untuk ikat tiang bendera itu. Kalau bulan Ogos mesin itu sangat bersih, saya yakin ia akan berterusan sehingga bulan Oktober ataupun November utk tahun ini. Dan jika ini di buat bertahun tahun, siapa tahu ia akan jadi satu tabiat?

Kepada anda yang tersenyum sinis dan berkata “Tak payah. Mesin aku memang tiap-tiap hari bersih”. Maka, kalau ikut hati saya nak menaikkan pandangan mata ke atas (roll my eyes), ketap bibir dan kata “Ya lah tu. Dah berapa lama tak masuk worsyop sendiri? Kau pukul 5 dah balik/tee-off kan?” tapi tak nak lah buat musuh kan so saya akan tersenyum dengan merendah kan diri dan kata “Ya?! Bagusnya. Teruslah pasang bendera!”

Sebuah mesin yang telah di bersihkan di pasang dengan bendera

An extra clean mower with a flag.

Nota:
Untuk menjadikan ini lebih efektif, pembersihan dan pencucian mesin mestilah di lakukan secara asing dan bukan pada lewat petang masa nak cuci mesin lepas potong tetapi pada Sabtu atau Ahad tengahari atau mungkin Jumaat petang. Jadikan ia operasi pencucian lengkap dengan ambil gambar sebelum dan selepas. Jadikan pengadilan untuk tentukan mesin itu bersih atau tidak sebagai suatu benda yang rasmi samada oleh kawan kawan pekerja ataupun anda sendiri. Tepuk tangan masa bagi bendera. Timbulkan kebanggaan. Begitu juga pembukaan/pembubaran bendera (jangan biarkan bendera koyak/kotor/lusuh di mesin; magic nya akan hilang) pada hari atau minggu selepas hari Kemerdekaan. Simpan balik supaya boleh di gunakan pada tahun berikut nya. 

Posted in Fields, Golf Course, Padang, Padang Bola, Padang Golf, stadium | Tagged: , , , , | 1 Comment »

The Biggest Office

Posted by mynormas on June 3, 2015

This picture? The

This picture? The “Golf Course Superintendent” sign? Totally not photoshopped or tricked out in any way.
To be fair, the super has moved to new facilities; thanks to new management and they went on be one of the top clubs in Malaysia.

Reading or writing by squinting through one eye is a bummer; I’ve had to go through a minor operation on one eye due to cataract yet I really felt the need to say something about this issue. This past week I’ve had four discussions about Malaysian golf course conditions  (I know thats what you go through in a day but bear with me) and all of it relates to the man in charge, commonly called as the golf course superintendent. In Malaysia, they are also referred to as the golf course manager, supervisor, director or assistant superintendent but the fact remains, they are in charge. I divide them into a few categories:

  1. Superintendents who don’t know what to do
  2. Superintendents who won’t do
  3. Superintendents who can’t do
  4. Superintendents who’s knowledgeable, can and will do.
  5. The corrupt.

It has been said that the golf course superintendent (or whatever the designation) has the biggest office in a golf club; anything between 120 to 300 acres. He, other than the club manager, should be the highest paid person in the club. Such privileges do not come easy; on his shoulder rest the reputation and prestige of the club and he is responsible for the highest expense department, not to mention taking care of the item with the highest construction cost; the golf course.

Right about now I can hear the cliché already; “it is a team effort”. Of course it is, but the team would have to be led by someone that needs to know agronomy, plant pathology, soil science, entomology, agriculture engineering, hydrology, not to mention golf rules and even golf itself. No? Then how is he (or she) to know about plant health, fertility, insects, drainage, machinery, irrigation and how to set up the golf course?

Cliché alert: “It’s not rocket science”, “it’s just growing grass”, anyone can do it bla bla bla. For these managers/owners, I say good luck in managing your clubs but actually, these are the minority. The majority of clubs know that maintaining a golf course takes a knowledgable person with skills. Here’s the tricky part, many clubs know that and want to hire them, but most clubs do not seem to recognise or respect what they already have and I mean this as recognition to both sides of the argument: some superintendents are lacking in knowledge but are still retained, some superintendents are in their comfort zone (and still retained) and some superintendents know what to do but do not get the support and respect they deserve. Of course, there are some who are knowledgable and are supported.

I’d love to comment about the superintendents who are lacking in knowledge but I won’t. Sometimes I can’t help but pity them; for the most part they were thrown into the deep end because of their good work in a previous position or loyalty (or they can’t find jobs elsewhere) and really don’t know what to do except repeating what their predecessor have done or what they think what their predecessor have done and what the suppliers advise. Somehow I can’t find in my heart to blame these people, they were examples of the Peter Principle: people who were promoted and promoted until they reach the level of their incompetence. To these clubs, there is hope because these people in general have good attitudes and are hardworking (hence the promotions), so send them to seminars, courses or pay for them to attend classes (I had a club willing to pay for my Diploma in Accountancy which was of no use to them at all!) or send them to a neighbouring club once a week or month to learn from the superintendent there; or pay the superintendent to come over to teach – just make sure you know the superintendent’s background too.

I’ve also met superintendents who are – on paper – knowledgeable but have voluntarily capped their limits at a certain level. They would not do more than that level, never mind the condition of the golf course. There are of course, justifications and reasons for it: no budget, interference, not enough workers, the weather, poor construction bla bla bla. Have a chat with them and you realise that it is easier to play the victim’s role in a blame game. You get told the idea that this is a hopeless situation even if you know of other clubs who faced similiar circumstances yet are in better condition. This also means that the golf course’s potential is also capped at that level and would not rise any time soon. To the clubs that hired these superintendents; tough luck. No seminar I know will change your golf course. No consultant or adviser too, unless the reports are discussed with the bosses; then maybe there is a chance. I’ve seen that happen, then again, I’ve also seen where the report was discussed with the boss; and the little that was done was to cover the bigger things that was supposed to be done but not, and after listening to the old story of “why it can’t be done”, the bosses gave up (thats part of the problem anyway) and things go back to what it was. To these clubs: good luck. Some superintendents in this category have been … wait: no… a MAJORITY of these superintendents have been in the same club for a very very long time.

What? You don’t know what I’m talking about, but yet your heart rate is increasing, temperature rising and you are upset? That, sonny, means you DO know what I am talking about; you’re just in denial. Okay fine, there are some superintendents who are in one place for too long with their golf course is in good condition. Happy? I’m talking about other clubs where the condition is poor and it is always someone else’s fault. But now that we’re at it, how about taking your club up another notch? Perhaps the weeds on the fairways? The greenspeed? No you can’t? Because of (insert excuse here) right? I rest my case.

The third category of superintendents is the one I pity most. He (or she, I know of one lady super) can usually get a job elsewhere but to him (or her) this job is a challenge to his/her ability and they just want to give it a try. These superintendents are usually  young or relatively new at the club and usually are up against a culture or a bureaucracy that has dug in, fortified and willing to fight to not change. Buying a fungicide that the superintendent needs to apply by the end of the week will take three weeks to process because it has to be justified, three quotations have to be searched and that one form needs to have three (or five!) signatures from three or five levels up and those people are usually not at their desks because of course they are in charge of other projects too. Or the superintendent is regarded as an outsider, an alien, an aberration even. Or a club that can only make decision after a committee meets which is usually at the end of the month… maybe three. Then there are clubs with real issues, for example; a non-responsive workforce – for want of a better description – they have the numbers but they can only work certain hours and at certain limits, never mind clubs with a small work force. Or a club that really tie their superintendents down with a very low budget. Just in case you think I am contradicting myself with superintendents in the second category, be advised that superintendents in this here third category, are still putting up a good show despite their restrictions.

Clubs with these two challenges (1. the non-performing superintendent as well as workforce – because it permeates into the department’s work culture, I promise you – and 2. the club with plodding bureaucracy or work culture – because it permeates into the club’s work culture, I promise you) are good candidates for the golf course maintenance contractor. No kidding. Hire one company to maintain your golf course and you will rid yourself of non-performers and plodders; and consign your golf course to forever be average. What? You think these companies were set up to serve golfdom and golferkind while turning your golf club into the best? No, they were set up to make a profit, so they think fast on their feet and are super-efficient for their own good but it will translate into comparatively better golf courses for you, at least for the first year and the final year of the contract. After which you are ‘doomed’ to appoint a contractor again because you don’t have the know-how and lets face it, you don’t know what went on the past five years anyway.

Someone is upset reading this is it? Lets be realistic, to look for the ‘right’ contractor, you are going to call for a tender exercise which will primarily focus on the cheapest tender after which you will negotiate again until the guy with the cheapest price hurt his knee begging you to stop: so of course lah the contractor will work his a$$ off to beautify your golf course without cutting any corners. Right? Unless – dare I say it? Oh heck, there are some people who will thank me – the contracting company is orang putih/gwailo/angmoh; then we will be the one on our knees begging. And the golf course will be better than average while some of us wonder why the expats do a better job than locals. No, not really about skin colour or just about the budget too. Find out why in the next category of superintendents.

I would be remiss in my ranting to not talk about the fourth category of lucky superintendents and their clubs. The superintendent who knows what to do or if they don’t; they find out, they are willing to do what it takes and they are allowed to do what it takes as they see fit. They are working for clubs who say things like “What? You need a new RM180K fairway mower? We don’t have the budget now but can we talk about it and see if we can postpone or perhaps look for a reconditioned mower or repair what you have now?” Or “So you need to hollow-tine the greens next month eh? Let me talk to the tournament organiser and see how he feels or if he wants to postpone or if he is willing to continue if you use smaller tines/do half of the greens”. In the world of management it is called ‘discussion’.

Did you notice that the two top clubs in Malaysia routinely get their superintendents on stage during award presentation ceremonies? Even if its held overseas? You think that’s because of gratitude to the superintendents’ efforts? No, that’s the mark of the attitude of the clubs to the superintendents’ office. It started long before that walk up the stage. It causes the walk. Not the budget. Not the machinery. Not the skin colour.  Its the attitude. The respect. The clubs respected the superintendents work, decision and opinion.

Ya, ya, ya… here comes the cliche: “Respect has to be earned”. Kinda hard to sympathise or empathise with some clubs (I hesitate to use the pronoun ‘you’ here, because there are some who will take this personally) who insist on hiring the cheapest person they can, to maintain the most expensive department they have. Respect your superintendent and see the difference. If there’s no difference, then perhaps, change the superintendent (sounds harsh? It has to work both ways fellas).

This article is too long already. Is anybody still reading? Very few now I bet. So it is time to introduce the fifth category of superintendents; the ones that people know but talk about only in whispered circles. The almost-unmentionables; the Mr. 10 percent. The what-do-I-get-in-return guy. The corrupt (oh, you think that’s too harsh? Lets see if I can find another term… urm… nope).

You think every one else does it? No, you are a minority. You think because your boss/purchaser/storekeeper does it, it is ok for you to do it? No; two wrongs do not make a right. You think because your salary is lower than market rate then it is ok for you? No. It ruins your reputation to go look for another job that can pay you higher than market rate. You think because the golf course looks good you can do it? No you can’t, because it IS your job to make the golf course looks good. You think nobody knows? Wrong, the industry is small (in Malaysia) and people talk. Ok, they whisper. Behind your back.

Stop. You are ruining not only your reputation but the other superintendents’ too. You will be indebted, nay trapped, to one or two particular suppliers and you will find it hard to change because… easy money is addictive or after a while your hand in the other guy’s pocket so often that you get used to it and he becomes your twin; hard to tell where he ends and you start. Your office is his office. There’s also guilt, fear and conscience. Then the golf course stagnates because your pool of resources and ideas has shrunk to one or two companies. No doubt they’re good and the golf course is good, but it won’t get any better.

So, to improve the golf course conditions in Malaysia; to the superintendents, let’s pull up our socks, raise our game, stay clean, increase our skills, share our knowledge or find another job. To the clubs themselves, treat the superintendents as a professional, respect his position, give him authority: if you can’t, send him for training or a makeover, or find a new one. Otherwise we have to continue as if nothing is our fault and like everything else that goes wrong… blame the government.

Note:

I wrote this opinion based on my observations in Malaysia. It should not be used without evidence to point fingers to any single person, club or group or organisation in particular. Hopefully it provokes thought, if not action. Get angry if you want but do something productive we must. 

Anonymous comments will not see the light of day on this site; I won’t even read it.

Posted in Golf club, Golf Course, Golf Course Superintendents | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Ekonomik Baja

Posted by mynormas on May 19, 2015

Ini adalah isu yang selalu juga di tanyakan kepada saya: baja apa yang saya patut guna untuk rumput saya? Di dalam blog nya, Dr. Micah Woods seorang pakar rumput, dalam menjawab persoalan yang di tanyakan kepadanya tentang baja apakah yang perlu di gunakan di padang telah memberi suatu jawapan yang menarik

Gambar hiasan

Gambar hiasan

. Untuk pengetahuan; terdapat tiga atau empat jenis baja.

  1. Straight fertiliser (err… baja lurus?) iaitu baja yang mempunyai hanya satu nutrien sahaja seperti urea, MoP atau SoP.
  2. Baja campuran iaitu baja yang terdiri dari campuran baja di atas dalam kadar tertentu. Jadi ada seketul untuk nitrogen, seketul untuk phosphorus, seketul untuk kalium dan sebagainya.
  3. Baja compound iaitu baja yang dalam setiap ketul terdiri dari pelbagai nutrien.
  4. Baja organik.

Selain itu kita boleh juga membincangkan samada nak guna baja ‘slow-release’ iaitu ketulan baja yang mempunyai selaput khas yang akan menyebabkan nutrien keluar secara perlahan ataupun ia di ikat secara kimia dan di lepaskan secara perlahan.

Mengikut kata Dr Woods, pemilihan baja berbeza dari satu tempat ke satu tempat asalkan pembajaan itu mengikut keperluan rumput dan faktor utama yang menentukan samada kita akan menggunakan baja slow-release yang mahal dan mengaplikasi sebulan sekali atau seminggu sekali berbanding dengan menggunakan baja urea (contohnya) yang di aplikasi seminggu sekali atau dua kali ialah perbandingan harga dan kemampuan. Baja urea mungkin lebih murah dari baja slow-release tetapi kos penggunaan buruh mungkin berbeza dari satu tempat ke satu tempat.

Maka, pemilihan baja apa yang kita akan guna mesti di kira mengikut perbandingan kos per aplikasi dan bukan kos per bag sahaja. Itu pun kalau kita serius tentang pembajaan, selalu juga saya lihat orang yang membaja sekadar nama “Dah baja” sahaja; mereka tak pernah buat soil test dan tak tahu samada baja yang mereka tabur itu cukup atau terlebih.

Ada juga orang yang baja bila dia merasakan ‘rumput dah kuning’ dan perlu baja. Pasal tu lah Cowgrass selalu tak menjadi di padang bola kita; kerana ia secara genetik memang hijau gelap walaupun lama tak baja dan memang kurang sihat.

Jadi: kira kos aplikasi (gaji pekerja sehari + kos mesin + kos baja) bukan hanya berapa harga baja itu.

P.S. Untuk tuan rumah yang lebih selalu berinteraksi dengan saya di laman web ini berbanding dengan orang padang; saya cadangkan baja organik kerana baja organik ialah juga sejenis baja ‘slow-release’ yang akan mengeluarkan nutrien setelah di urai oleh bakteria atau mikro-organisma lain. Jika anda menggunakan sebarang jenis rumput karpet: dua bulan sekali. Jika Cowgrass setahun sekali atau dua kali. Lakukan pada masa anda mahukan rumput yang subur contohnya sebulan sebelum Hari Raya atau Chinese New Year atau Christmas atau seumpamanya yang senang ingat.

Posted in Golf Course | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

What Enstein said

Posted by mynormas on April 28, 2015

Is it too ambitious to put one of the greatest minds in history to the level of grass growers? I don’t know. I just want to draw attention to his quotes and.how at least one, if not two of them relate to some of what I see in Malaysian golf clubs and football fields. “Insanity” said Mr. Enstein “is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

Does that ring a bell? We talk about the (poor) quality of our golf course or field but we do not change anything in the efforts or methods of how we maintain either one. We still use the same fertiliser or the same amount or, in the case of golf course fairways and tees or many football fields; we don’t fertilise at all. We cut our football field irregularly and we have not or worse, never have done any aeration on our fields. Yet we wonder why there is no improvement in quality. Honestly? We shouldn’t wonder, we should just accept it as it is and play it or take up bowling, or fishing or for the footballers; futsal perhaps?

I get it, sometimes there are just too many things to be done that we don’t know where to start, but start we must. If we can’t afford to do the big things, maybe we can start small. Change we must, better now than never. Not all improvements have to be million-ringgit renovations or purchases you know, sometimes it is just about perception and not necessary reality. Consistent greens at moderate speeds? A cleaner golf course? Stripes on a football field?

Maybe a change in fertiliser? Or better still; a soil test to see if we’ve done it right all this years? Trimming the trees surrounding the green may help. I know, I know, the committee/management/owner will never agree. However, you will be surprised how many people who said that have never actually broached the subject to the committee/management/owner. I once was asked to present recommendations on how to improve a particular football field, they told me they can’t afford it; problem was, I haven’t told them how much it costs yet. I guess it was easier to carry on as it is rather than to take an unusual, different and extra step to actually improve it.

Part of what I do is mentoring the existing staff in the effort to improve the quality of a golf course, I’ll tell you it is easier to do it with superintendents and staff who are new rather than those have been in one place too long where every suggestions or recommendation can be taken as a challenge, old habits are hard to break and complacency sets in.

I usually will try to tweak the maintenance practices that I hope will make some changes and I try to find the stuff that is there without incurring immediate extra cost. Measuring green sizes for example and calculating the amount of fertiliser for each green. Changing pesticides; whether the brand or type or how its applied.

Sometimes I go for something new like dragging a metal drag mat on the greens in lieu of grooming. “Will it work?” I am asked. I don’t know; lets try and see what happens. At the very least, it changes the way the staff see the greens. No kidding.

That’s when sometimes I run into opposition, for example when I asked that insecticides are applied early in the morning or late in the evening, I am told that “the insects here are active in the afternoon”. Fine. Problem is, that golf course is plagued by insects for years; and various types and combinations of insecticides have been used to no avail, so why not give a different time of application a try?  Why do the same thing and expect a different result?

If you don’t have a groomer or any sort of vertical cutter, why not try pulling a ‘metal carpet’ on the greens just to shake up the grains a bit? Most old school superintendents will find excuses not to do it, or they’ll tell me they’ll do it and never actually do, but I had one former-factory-manager-turned-Superintendent who followed my instructions blindly. He had four walk-behinds of different makes and models to mow 18 greens but his greens turned out to be consistent and pretty fast for a cutting height of 4.5 to 5mm.

Don’t get me wrong. It is okay to do the same things again and again. Go ahead. After all, I don’t know everything and not everything I suggest may work for everyone. What is wrong is expecting a different result. That, according to old Albert, is insanity, but then, he is also the same guy who said that “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking that created them”, so maybe it is about using a different kind of thinking. Be offended, go on, if that prompts you or anyone into using their imagination and making some changes; I have not wasted the two hours writing this.

Posted in Golf Course | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

Mengenal ‘Penyakit’

Posted by mynormas on April 13, 2015

In the past few years I’ve been travelling visiting golf courses and a few football fields in Malaysia, one common problem I see is the difficulty some (let me stress that; some) Superintendents find it difficult to diagnose what is wrong with their grass. Especially on greens. I know it can be difficult to identify what disease is at fault except perhaps Fairy Ring but I find it a little alarming when the an insect attack is confused with fungi or even irrigation water contamination is blamed on disease (did that sound right). I’ve seen greens being compacted by some kind of heavy machinery and yet it was blamed on fungus. Sure, there were fungus on the green but you could see that the disease was mostly on the tyre marks and whatever the guy was dragging behind that tractor; a heavy roller perhaps? So I put together a slide that I used for teaching golf course staff on how to identify between abiotic and biotic causes of damage or disease on the course. I also saw a well-constructed football field having problems because the outlet drains were clogged: unclog it, and it improved almost immediately. The slides are in the Malaysian language because it is used to teach Malaysian staff. It is a two-day course and includes a calibration module. For more info on this and other field/course maintenance seminars, please contact me.

Penyakit apa membuat corak begini? What disease does this?

Penyakit apa membuat corak begini? What disease does this?

Dalam kerja saya sekarang, saya banyak melawat padang golf dan padang bola, dan salah satu masalah yang paling selalu saya jumpa ialah masalah pengenalan kepada penyakit di padang. Kekadang kita confuse di antara penyakit kulat dan serangan serangga. Kekadang masalah yang datang dari pengairan pun kita salahkan kulat. Saya pernah lihat rumput yang mempunyai kesan tayar pun di salahkan kepada kulat juga. Saya pernah lihat rumput yang di salah spray di salahkan penyakit rumput. Saya pernah jumpa padang bola yang di perbuat dengan sempurna dan di jaga dengan baik tetapi bermasalah, saya dapati masalahnya ialah paip outlet membawa air keluar dari padang telah sumbat. Setelah itu di perbaiki, padang tersebut telah berfungsi seperti biasa: tiada penyakit.

Saya telah membuat satu kursus bertajuk “Kursus Asas Aplikasi Racun di Padang” untuk di ajar kepada kakitangan padang dan slaid ini di gunakan sebagai petunjuk kepada mereka untuk membezakan punca penyakit. Ia dalam Bahasa Malaysia. Kursus ini adalah selama dua hari dan termasuk cara kalibrasi mesin. 

Untuk maklumat lanjut tentang kursus ini, sila hubungi saya…

<div style=”margin-bottom:5px”> <strong> <a href=”//www.slideshare.net/normas98/diagnosis-penyakit-rumput” title=”Diagnosis penyakit rumput” target=”_blank”>Diagnosis penyakit rumput</a> </strong> from <strong><a href=”//www.slideshare.net/normas98″ target=”_blank”>Normas Yakin</a></strong> </div>

Posted in Fields, Golf club, Golf Course, Golf Course Superintendents, Greens, Maintenance, Padang, Padang Golf, Taman | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

AM61A ganti brushcutter

Posted by mynormas on February 16, 2015

Last month I visited a company in Sri Iskandar, Perak that dealt with mowers. They deal in mowers that they imported in from Japan and were marketed for the agriculture sector, which made them really really cheap compared to golf course mowers. The mowers look tough and rugged. I haven’t seen the cut but I’m sure it is better than a brushcutter’s and good enough for the rough and maybe even some fields but what made me really interested was that their mowers were also small enough to be operated under and around trees. 

Mesin AM61A in action.

Mesin AM61A in action.

Last week they sent me a few video clips of which one really really got me looking real hard at them. This particular machine the AM61A was versatile and powerful enough to replace not one but at least five brushcutters! No kidding. You can watch the YouTube video below. 

Please take this in the context that Malaysian golf courses are – or will – be facing a shortage of manpower especially the foreign workers. This machine may be the answer to two reasons for the lack of local workers: 

1. Reducing the need for brushcutters will mean the reduction in the need for brute force and physical demands.

2. Reducing the number of workers through productivity and mechanisation can mean increasing the pay of individual workers.

Or maybe you can just reduce your workforce and increase profit?  

Bulan lepas saya telah melawat sebuah syarikat di Sri Iskandar, Perak yang memasarkan mesin memotong rumput keluaran negara Jepun yang di tujukan ke industri perladangan dan pertanian. Oleh itu mesin mereka mempunyai harga yang murah berbanding dengan mesin yang di jual khusus untuk padang golf.

AM61A di kawasan yang biasa di potong oleh brushcutter

AM61A di kawasan yang biasa di potong oleh brushcutter

Saya amat tertarik kerana mesin mereka kecil dan mudah di pandu di kawasan sempit seperti di bawah atau keliling pokok dan murah (deja vu! Saya dah cakap tadi eh?). Saya tak tengok lagi kualiti potongan (saya melawat kedai mereka dan melihat video) tapi saya yakin ia lebih baik dari brushcutter tapi kalau setakat rough dan mungkin padang bola atau taman, tiada masalah.

Tetapi yang paling saya suka ialah suatu video (lihat di bawah) yang menunjukkan bagaimana mesin AM61A boleh menewaskan suatu brushcutter dan menunjukkan bahawa satu mesin AM61A boleh menggantikan hingga lima brushcutter.

Kita kan mengalami masalah pekerja; samada pekerja asing yang makin susah dan mahal untuk di bawa masuk ataupun pekerja tempatan yang kurang gemar bekerja di padang golf. Pada pendapat saya, mesin AM61A ini boleh membantu dua cara untuk menambah pekerja tempatan:

1. Mengurangkan keperluan menggunakan kekuatan dan ketahanan fizikal

2. Mengurangkan jumlah pekerja maka ada kemungkinan imbuhan kepada pekerja boleh di naikkan.

Ataupun, anda boleh kurangkan pekerja dan tambah keuntungan.

Posted in Golf Course, Golf Course Superintendents, Landscape, Lanskap, Maintenance, Padang, Rumput | Tagged: , , , , | 7 Comments »

Rumput untuk Stadium

Posted by mynormas on January 27, 2015

Kesilapan memilih rumput adalah masalah utama kebanyakkan pemilik tanah, dari sekecil halaman rumah hinggalah ke sebesar padang golf. Rumput yang cantik di padang orang lain, belum tentu cantik di padang kita. Rumput yang cantik di dalam gambar, belum tentu cantik di tempat kita. Rumput yang cantik di nursery belum tentu cantik di laman kita.

Di tiap kawasan atau tanah atau tapak atau padang; redup, cuaca, iklim-mikro, keupayaan penjagaan, kegunaan dan sebagainya tak sama. Jadi jangan lah kita pilih rumput berdasarkan kecantikan atau kebagusan nya di tempat lain dan kita tangkapmuat dia di tempat kita dan berdoa supaya ia padan.

Di dalam slaid-slaid berikut saya cuba memberitahu apa yang saya pertimbangkan ketika saya membantu sebuah stadium membuat pilihan rumput. Saya cuba jadikan pemilihan rumput itu sebagai suatu proses sama seperti memilih pemenang dalam rancangan hiburan. Peserta rancangan hiburan ada menang dalam kategori tertentu dan ada peserta yang menang dalam acara keseluruhan. Begitu juga dalam pemilihan rumput; saya bahagikan proses pemilihan ke dalam tiga ‘kategori’ dan pilih pemenang untuk tiap kategori. Peserta yang paling banyak menang dalam kategori-kategori itu akan memenangi acara keseruhan. Tentunya pemilihan saya bukan muktamad, saya akan memberi ‘ranking’ dan terpulang kepada tuanpunya untuk membuat keputusan terakhir. Kadang-kadang, ada perkara yang berada di luar jangkaan seseorang. Contohnya tuanpunya mahukan rumput yang sama dengan stadium lain sediaada, atau rumput ranking kedua adalah rumput kegemaran boss, atau rumput dalam ranking pertama tiada ‘backup’ atau tiada di jual oleh pembekal/nursery lain. Maka mungkin tuanpunya mahu membuat ‘gamble’ dan memilih rumput dalam ranking kedua atau ketiga.

Menggunakan rumput yang tiada ‘backup’ adalah – pada pendapat saya – suatu keputusan yang berisiko tinggi. Padang kita  akan menjadi tebusan pembekal sekarang dan di masa yang sama, jika rumput di padang rosak atau mati seminggu sebelum suatu acara/pertandingan penting, kita tiada sumber untuk mendapat bekalan untuk menampal kawasan yang mati atau rosak.

Sebagai bonus, untuk mengelakkan pemilik padang ini menerima nasihat penjual yang memaksa mereka menggunakan terlalu banyak input sewaktu penanaman, saya telah memasukkan beberapa cadangan untuk proses tanam semula. Saya cadangkan supaya mereka kembali ke basic. Guna pasir kasar sudahlah, tidak perlu lain lain bahan seperti tanah liat, top soil yang terlalu banyak (satu lapis?) ataupun benda-benda ‘canggih’ lain.

Jika anda dalam proses memilih rumput untuk padang anda; silakan guna proses ‘3K’ ini. Jika anda ingin membuat penyampaian kepada boss anda dan anda memilih untuk menggunakan proses 3K, saya hanya minta anda beri kredit kepada saya.

Ataupun, jika anda akan membelanjakan jutaan ringgit untuk menanam padang, mengapa tidak belanja lebih kurang 0.001% dari satu juta untuk membayar seorang pakar yang telah membela rumput selama 20 tahun? Anda boleh tanya soalan ini sekarang atau anda boleh tunggu 3 tahun lagi bila soalan ini di tanya oleh pemberita, Board of Director ataupun pengguna ketika rumput di padang anda mula bermasalah.

Selamat membaca.

Posted in Golf Course, Golf Course Superintendents, Greens, Landscape, Maintenance, Padang, Padang Golf, Rumput halaman rumah, Taman | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Shade & Serangoon

Posted by mynormas on December 8, 2014

I found a tee that was almost completely shaded by trees. I was told this has been the case for a few years.

image

In my experience, in most cases, the tee would have been in poor condition, but not this tee.
Upon closer inspection and after asking the Superintendent, I was told that the tee – in fact the golf course – was planted with Serangoon grass (I believe its Digitaria didactyla). This strengthens my belief about the shade tolerance of Serangoon. There is a bit of browning and scalping on the surface which I believe are due to Philippine grass  (Zoysia tenuifolia?) planted there when they enlarged the tee.
Both grass are a lighter green in colour compared to Bermuda and Cowgrass.

image

On the left is Serangoon, on the right is Zoysia.

It is a pity that the only nursery I know of that sold Serangoon has replanted it with Bermuda and golf courses that has Serangoon greens are rumoured to be contemplating to change to other grasses. I hope it is not about following a trend. I also hope that, in this context, they think about their shade issues too.

Baru baru ini saya terjumpa sebuah tee (org Malaysia kata tee-box) yg hampir terlindung sepenuhnya oleh pokok. Ini bukan perkara baru tapi selalu nya saya perhatikan rumput di tee yg terlindung akan bermasalah rumput yg terlindung akan kurang makan kerana kurang photosynthesis dan akan memanjangkan daun utk mencari matahari dan memendekkan pertumbuhan akar utk menjimat tenaga.

image

Tapi di tee ini, rumput ini subur walaupun sudah bertahun tidak di baja.
Saya di beritahu tee ini di tanam dengan rumput Serangoon yg memang di kenali sebagai rumput yg ‘shade tolerant’. Ia juga di campur dengan rumput Philippine sewaktu tee di besar kan saiznya.
Adalah malang sekali jika kita kehilangan species rumput tempatan ini kerana satu satu nya nursery yg menjual Serangoon sudah tidak lagi menjual nya. Dan padang golf yg mempunyai green Serangoon di khabar kan akan menukar kepada rumput lain.  Kita memang suka benda benda import ni kan? Rumput, kereta, baja, consultant…
Apa pun saya harap mereka ambil perhatian tentang kawasan terlindung di padang mereka. Jangan menyesal kemudian…

example of tees suffering under shade
Contoh contoh tee yg rosak akibat teduhan (examples of tees damaged due to shade)

Posted in Fields, Golf Course, Golf Course Superintendents, Greens, Landscape, Lanskap, Maintenance, Padang Golf, Rumput, Rumput halaman rumah, Rumput secara am, Taman | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Padang dan belang

Posted by mynormas on November 18, 2014

Stripes, whether on a football field or a golf course fairway, are nice to look at. Some Superintendents/Groundsmen are quite creative and can create nice patterns. However, the danger of having one direction of stripe for years and the same mower every time we mow, is creating ruts where the tyres are.

File picture; not directly related to story.

Nice stripes from a simple tractor. But at least this is a light machine.
Gambar hiasan.

For those not in the know; to get those nice stripes that you see on TV or at your local field/fairways/rough, the mower operator has to mow in the same place and at the same direction every time. The grass then bends in that particular direction and when the mower comes back on the ‘return’ trip, the grass will bend in the opposite direction. The effect of light reflecting on the bent grass are what creates the striping effect. Not really the cutting action per se, more likely the rollers behind the ‘knife’.

Its easier to do with some grass compared to others. For the grasses that are harder to create the stripes, the mower operators has to be disciplined and skilled enough to be able to repeat that task every time he/she mows. Some courses/fields can have a few directions to spread the wear and tear but in Malaysia, most clubs will have one one direction of mowing; from tee to green of fairway or on the football field, from one side of the field to the other i.e. left to right.

If you don’t spread out the wear and tear and keep on mowing in the same place/direction every time over many years and even during wet soil conditions – especially if you don’t aerate your fairways – what will happen is that the machine’s tyres will always be in the same location every time you mow and this will soon create ruts.

Maybe not my best artwork; but what I'm trying to show is a profile of ruts created by a machine.

Maybe not my best artwork; but what I’m trying to show is a profile of ruts created by a machine’s tyres.

I recently advised one club to change the direction of their fairway stripes because it has been that since the beginning. I suggested a ‘diamond’ cut from two directions to create a checker board effect from a straight up and down striping as it is now. At least then there can be two set of places where the machine’s tyres can be placed and since that particular club mows its fairways twice a week, that means on one day it will mow from left to right and on the other; right to left.

When the owner came by a few weeks ago, he decided he preferred the old stripes and instructed the Superintendent to go back to the old stripes. The Superintendent were not able to give a proper explanation why we changed mowing direction and had no choice but to go back to the previous direction.

Sigh… I guess I should let it go, but the rainy season has just begun and I’m afraid the ruts will just get worse.

Belang pada padang – samada pada fairway padang golf atau di padang bola – adalah cantik. Tetapi ia datang dengan kos tertentu. 

Pedulikan botol air mineral tu. Apa yang saya nak tunjuk ialah arah rumput baring akan menentukan warna belang rumput.

Pedulikan botol air mineral tu. Apa yang saya nak tunjuk ialah arah rumput baring akan menentukan warna belang rumput.

Untuk mendapatkan belang tersebut, si operator yang membawa mesin mestilah memotong pada arah dan tapak yang sama setiap kali dia memotong. Ini kerana belang itu datang dari rumput yang ‘baring’. Bila mesin itu potong ke arah hadapan kita, rumput itu akan baring ke pergi dari; dan bila mesin itu potong di arah berlawanan iaitu ke arah kita, rumput akan baring ke arah kita. Cahaya yang melantun atas permukaan rumput itu akan membalikkan jumlah cahaya yang berbeza dan memberi kesan belang yang kita nampak. 

Oleh kerana mesin itu terpaksa potong pada arah dan lokasi yang sama setiap kali ia potong selama bertahun-tahun; tayar mesin itu akan berada di lokasi yang sama dan akan membentuk lekuk terutamanya bila kita potong pada waktu tanah lembik; i.e musim hujan. 

Untuk mengurangkan efek tersebut, saya cadangkan padang mempunyai dua atau tiga ‘pattern’ belang supaya mampatan dari tayar boleh di sebarkan ke beberapa lokasi. Ini mungkin membantu. 

Example of striping on football field

Contoh belang atau stripe di padang bola.

Posted in Fields, Golf Course, Golf Course Superintendents, Maintenance, Padang, Padang Golf | Tagged: , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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