Research Helps Improve Golf Courses, Home Lawns
Dick Stuntz, Alvamar Golf Course superintendent, uses K-State research to keep the fairways at the Lawrence course in tip-top shape.
Forgive Dick Stuntz if he’s just a bit proud about the lush, green fairways at the Alvamar Golf Course in Lawrence.
As the course’s superintendent, he’s certainly entitled to brag a little; however, he will be the first to say he wouldn’t be able to do it without the help of K-State Research and Extension.
"K-State research is the heart and soul of what we do as golf course superintendents," Stuntz said. "Turfgrass research is just vital. Jack Fry does an awful lot of what I call applied research – the kind of things that lead us to answers on day-
to-day issues. It’s very important in our profession to have a person who can do that."
Stuntz has been working with Fry – a professor in the Department of Horticulture, Forestry and Recreation Resources, for more than a decade – trying to find ways to conserve water and limit the use of pesticides on turfgrass. Fry said it is impossible to know how much a partnership such as this means to his work.
"The relationship we have with courses such as Alvamar is invaluable," Fry said. "Dick does a great job of bringing us ideas and stimulating thoughts, because he sees things we don’t see sitting in an office."
Fry added that though much of his research is done on golf courses, his findings can be applied to several turfgrass entities.
"About 80 percent of my research focuses on golf course turf because the industry is good at sponsoring research at the university, and the research can be applied to several other areas such as lawns and nurseries," Fry said.
Larry Ryan, of Ryan Lawn Care in Overland Park, said he relies on K-State turfgrass research for several reasons. He uses information such as annual rating of grasses, best spring and fall grasses, color quality, and drought resistance to make recommendations to his clients.
"We seed 1,000 lawns every fall, so we use research to make our turfgrass selections," Ryan said.
He added that using research to pick the highest quality seeds has made his business one of the leaders in the Kansas City area turfgrass industry. However, his main focus is to give his customers an end product that will look nice and take less water to maintain.
"We take information we get from the universities and try to show people what is real and what is a fad," said Ryan, who has been in business for 18 years. "If we weren’t scientific, we wouldn’t have the success we’ve had."
Decades past, Ryan’s father made regular trips to Manhattan as he built the business on K-State research.
Stuntz noted that Alvamar also was built using university research with a dream of bringing country club conditions to a public golf course.
In 1966, Alvamar was the first golf course to utilize zoysia grass on its fairways. According to Stuntz, the course is currently recognized as the only one to have maintained zoysia fairways since its inception.
Jack Fry
785-532-1430
jfry@k-state.edu
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