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Currently, he\u2019s seeing more and more customers convert to Zipline in general, but the dry spell was a wake-up call for many. \u201cIt\u2019s a wetting agent year. It\u2019s so bad that we actually appreciated the heavy smoke from the Canadian forest fires because they lowered ET rates for a few days,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat we like about Zipline is the flexibility in application,\u201d says Kubik. \u201cYou can water it in with .15\u201d<\/sup>on or really flood it into the rootzone\u2026whatever your preference\u2026but we kind of like the idea of putting down a little less water up front and letting your normal watering practices drive it down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Having a choice is huge. \u201cThat flexibility with tank mix partners has been fantastic because without having to water in behind it you can throw other products in with it. It\u2019s been easy to fit into a lot of programs.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n One of his customers who had not been a fan or wetting agents is now \u201cone of my better salesmen\u201d after trying Zipline. \u201cIt\u2019s such a flexible product no matter what your soil type or spray schedule might be,\u201d he says. \u201cWe\u2019ve had no complaints and the feedback has been \u2018send me more.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He adds: \u201cMany customers normally didn\u2019t start using wetting agents until at least Memorial Day. Now they started a month early and they\u2019re embracing it (Zipline) because they don\u2019t have time to water in or slide in an extra app. For them, this is now a new tank mix partner that allows them to get more done in a limited amount of time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n And it\u2019s more than just the compatibility and flexibility: \u201cWith cooler soils coming out of spring, guys are seeing a response at a time when they normally wouldn\u2019t get from a wetter agent. I think it\u2019s that little response from AquaVita. It\u2019s a turf color response they don\u2019t normally see. It\u2019s a reminder there\u2019s that technology there that definitely adds to Zipline.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Brett Blackwood<\/strong> is super at Black Hawk GC in Aliquippa, Penn., and is \u2013 get ready for this \u2013 a 5th<\/sup>-generation superintendent at his family\u2019s beloved and busy facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The facility will celebrate its centennial in 2027 and still features original push-up greens. Blackwood is short-staffed (a crew of 10 for 36 holes) and has an irrigation system he describes as a Frankenstein mash-up contraption that needs a lot of care to keep running. \u201cMy dad and I are probably the only ones on the planet who could operate it,\u201d he laughs. \u201cIt\u2019s a bit of a nightmare.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n So wetting agent apps weren\u2019t usually part of the equation because it was often chancy whether the system would allow them to water the products in. That felt risky, yet he knew he needed help during the 2023 dry spell. Based on recommendations from colleagues, decided to try Zipline. \u201cWe went out with Zipline in early June and, predictably, we struggled to get water down.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It ended up being close to 48 hours before they were able to get water on much of the course. \u201cMy anxiety was sky-high thinking everything would be locked up in the top couple of inches of the soil profile. Instead, I didn\u2019t see any issues.\u201d Blackwood said he saw an immediate green-up and cups were easier to cut. The color and dew on the greens were all the signs that Zipline was working perfectly and moisture was being held. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was clearly effective but having that flexibility about watering in was great,\u201d he says. \u201cThat peace of mind was huge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Blackwood has changed his tune about wetting agents. \u201cWhat I\u2019d heard through the grapevine was really an understatement. This was the perfect trial by fire and Zipline passed the test. Zipline will be our product until something else comes along that\u2019s clearly better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keith Perl has seen a lot of changes over a few decades in turf distribution in Pennsylvania, but the head of Walker Supply loved one product more than most. \u201cRevolution really was a revolution when it arrived, but we had to retrain people to soak it down through the profile. Once people understood that, they saw how phenomenal it was and how much it eliminated LDS and hand watering. But the need to water it in was a limiting factor for some customers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perl is a believer and says the majority of his customers have converted to Zipline. \u201cHonestly, everybody loves it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The spring heat and drought was a proving ground for many, according to Perl. Customers told him how well the Zipline treated areas held up during the extended dry patch and then how quickly it popped back when the rain came.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Perl notes he still has plenty of customers who stick with Revolution because it\u2019s become a foundational part of their program and they like it the way it is. \u201cYou can talk to any of my customers using Zipline and they absolutely love what they\u2019re seeing from it. It\u2019s eliminated the hassle of trying to water in properly and delivers great results against localized dry spots. That\u2019s it in a nutshell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ken Anson has an amazing turf pedigree and has worked with some of the best people in the industry, including thought-leaders like Bob Ranum and Tony Hooks. Now as superintendent at Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia for the past three years he\u2019s been able to build his own program\u2026one that now includes Zipline. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWetting agents, particularly here in south Jersey, are the biggest ticket to actually sleeping at night,\u201d says Anson. They play a big part in water sustainability and agronomic sustainability on these sand courses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anson tested a lot of wetting agents: \u201cI tried everything out there. What I learned was it\u2019s not necessarily how well they rewet the profile, but how well they dry down the profile and how uniform that process is. I got it down to three really good products, but Zipline hit my place the best. I wasn\u2019t seeing more LDS. I didn\u2019t have<\/em> to re-apply. That\u2019s when I decided it was best wetting agent for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He found he could avoid irrigation and still have a firm, unstressed surface. \u201cI can get firmer with other products but I have to irrigate. I have a golf-first mentality. I don\u2019t like to disrupt play. I like fast greens and a big show. I am more of a golf superintendent than a turf superintendent. I like to present the game at its best\u2026and that\u2019s where Zipline came in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anson used a 6-ounce rate this spring because it was bone dry. \u201cWhen the soil hardened up, I needed higher rates and shorter intervals.\u201d Since then, he\u2019s had some cooler nights and precipitation. He\u2019s now on a program of tank-mixing Zipline every 21 days at 4 oz\/1000. Halfway through he\u2019ll spray collars with 24 oz\/acre of Dispatch. \u201cI\u2019ve basically eliminated having to hand-water collars. Collar stress is a big issue. That little bit of Dispatch doesn\u2019t make things soft and it\u2019s alleviated a lot of pressure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s the most valuable aspect of Zipline: \u201cIt\u2019s a flexible product. Times get tough, ET rates are through the roof and you know there\u2019s tough weather coming, so you bump your rate a couple of ounces. If it\u2019s good grass growing weather you can use a lower rate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n How about playability? \u201cThere is no doubt in my mind that it firms up my surfaces. My profile stays relatively even. It allows water to move through the soil at just the right rate. If I water 50% of ET on my greens I will not fall behind. Beyond the flexibility and peace of mind, that\u2019s what\u2019s so valuable about Zipline.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anson sums it up: \u201cIf you have bentgrass USGA greens, there\u2019s no reason not to give this a shot. It\u2019s a homerun. It\u2019s worth every penny. It saves me as much in labor as I spend on it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Nick Alley of Grass Roots Inc. is another agronomic rep who saw Zipline\u2019s usefulness this spring. \u201cIt offers moisture management and the ability to control what you\u2019re putting down a little bit more,\u201d says Alley. \u201cIt keeps it where you want it to be. Lots of folks playing with different rates. Some like to front-load early in the season but others like biweekly. The flexibility of this product is just amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He also loves the fact that mixing is vastly simpler. \u201cThe other thing about Zipline is its compatibility. You can mix it with nearly anything and spin the heads afterwards and then water it in at night. Everyone has a different technique in terms of how they use it but it seems like they\u2019re all able to get the same goal. It takes the complexity out of using wetting agents.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alley agrees that meeting demands for firm conditions without interrupting play is critical these days. \u201cIt\u2019s great because you can tank-mix it with a pythium product or any kind of soils spray and water it in later.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He still recommends Revolution and plenty of customers still rely on it. \u201cThere are people still using Revolution and there\u2019s a place for both products on the course. For example, Revolution works great on tees where you can get away with less firmness. There\u2019s a time and place for each product.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bottom line for him is the combination of flexibility, compatibility and firmness: \u201cI personally think that it\u2019s hard to beat Zipline on greens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The last big drought Montclair GC\u2019s Mike Campbell remembers was 1999, so the triple threat of a dry fall last year, a wet winter with lots of construction going on, and a super-dry spring made things interesting to say the least.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe humidity was so low that it basically takes what you\u2019re used to and throws it out the window,\u201d says Campbell. \u201cUsually, it\u2019s hot and humid and we try not to water. But last year it was like 22% humidity most of the time so we were watering like it was Scottsdale.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then came the nasty spring of 2023: \u201cSo this six-week period this spring \u2013 very dry, very windy and very cool \u2013 the grass got a double whammy of being behind on growing degree days and being under drought pressure, so moisture management was a big, big part of what we were doing this spring.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Campbell has a unique approach to irrigation that shapes his program. \u201cWe water very hard on Sunday night to try to flush the property. USGA greens get a different amount but otherwise everything is heavily, heavily irrigated Sunday. Then we essentially let the rest dry down from there, except for hand-watering.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n But they couldn\u2019t keep up over the six weeks of hell this spring. \u201cThere were days when I was just throwing heads on in the middle of the day just because we had to. Sometimes it was just greens. But primarily it was still just hand watering. When your ET rates are over .2 every day, day after day, people get tired and things dry out before you get to them. You do learn how far you can push grass without water.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fortunately, the Montclair culture has become more accepting of a drier look over the years. \u201cFor us, it\u2019s okay to look a little brown. Green used to be the expectation, but playability has become much more important. We\u2019ve been educating our members for 7-8 years now that we don\u2019t really judge the golf course by color. How does the ball sit? How does it roll? How does it bounce? The ground game is very important at Montclair.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Campbell is no stranger to Aquatrols products, having relied on them for the past 20 years, and he values his relationship with Kubik and the Grass Roots team. Aqueduct has been a staple of his program over the years, either sprayed or injected via fertigation. But he waters infrequently and had struggled to find a way to get consistent, even moisture management through the injection process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And injection meant additional steps for someone who was looking to simplify his program. \u201cZipline initially interested me because colleagues told me they were tank-mixing it with everything. That was intriguing. So now I go out with green sprays, tee sprays and fairway sprays with Zipline in the tank with those other chemistries. I don\u2019t know why it\u2019s safer, but it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He admits he\u2019s still in the process of learning the product but he thinks the surfaces seem more firm and he\u2019s happy with the simplification. \u201cSo far so good on the Zipline.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kevin Rundstrom of Aquatrols sees the big picture around his mid-Atlantic territory: \u201cWhat makes Zipline special is the fact it is a combo wetting agent with AquaVita technology meaning it encompasses two surfactant technologies paired with plant health technologies to provide the soil with the tools it needs to increase plant health and soil moisture distribution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cZipline is most beneficial on green surfaces to create fast, firm playing conditions and allow the superintendent to dry down the putting surface while feeling confident they will not see an extreme drop off in moisture. At 6-8 oz per 1,000 square feet per month it is a terrific addition to any golf course program.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A surprise dry spell and heat wave around the northern U.S. meant an early start to water management for many courses. We talked with turf pros in hard-hit areas in the northeast who met the challenge using Zipline. As you may have noticed, much of the U.S. seemed to skip spring and go directly to […]<\/p>\nOvercoming Fear of \u201cFrankenstein\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cHonestly, everybody loves it\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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It Fits His Golf-First Mentality<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cYou can mix it with nearly anything\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Simpler is better at Montclair<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The big picture\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n