There are basically
two reasons golf courses, sports fields, and turf farms call on soil
consultants. The first is to improve the quality of turf or plants at
reasonable costs. Many superintendents let fertilizer companies run
some "free" perfunctory tests, then spend tens of thousands
of dollars on expensive fertilizer and pesticide programs.
Superintendents
are pleased to learn that by using the right type of fertilizers targeted
to the soil's needs, an independent soil consultant like
Paskvan Consulting can significantly
lower the cost of their fertilizer and pesticide programs
-- even as much as 70%!
Of course, not every situation
can boast 70% savings -- there are too many variables. But what Paskvan
Consulting clients report over a two- or three year maintenance
program is clear: balanced plant nutrients lead to significantly
lower costs and healthier turf or plants. Craig
Paskvan's status as a consultant who is independent
of any nutrient maker or chemical distributor contributes directly
to your bottom line savings.
The second reason superintendents
call on soil consultants is to solve stubborn grounds maintenance problems
the fertilizer companies can't or won't treat. Quite often, superintendents
will ask a local university for help, only to find that university experts
can't help. Paskvan Consulting built its
reputation by taking a direct, personal interest in solving your
problems. Here are some examples:
In
2001, a golf course called on Paskvan Consulting
to develop a continuous testing regime to prove that fertilizers
were not seeping into bodies of water bordering the course. There's
no textbook method for that, but Craig
developed an innovative program that proved no seepage was occurring.
(See the "Environmental
Testing" page for details.)
Another
superintendent couldn't get grass to grow on a recently renovated
green, and a handful of fertilizer company experts couldn't solve
the problem. Paskvan Consulting's investigation
showed that the green had been improperly constructed, blocking water
drainage.
In
the 2000 season, a client superintendent had been bothered by a fungus
problem attacking course greens. Paskvan Consulting
suggested a simple, cheap remedy that cleared up the fungus infection
immediately - an application of baking soda!
In
late summer of 2000, Craig was invited
to come to a golf course that was experiencing severe problems with
its greens.
The course had aleady called on two universities for help earlier
in the summer. One university's experts had visited once, and the
other's, twice. They could not fix the problem. The superintendent
had one of the chemical companies make an appearance, but again, there
was no solution.
The superintendent then called Paskvan Consulting.
Craig tested the greens and irrigation water from all sources. Based
on the laboratory results, Craig put together a program to correct
the nutrition of the greens,and a maintenance program. The greens
responded within two weeks after the superintendent commenced the
programs. The following spring, the superintendent said the greens
had never come through a winter as well as they had that year.
An independent soil consultant
working to improve your bottom line and solve stubborn problems made
this superintendent's job easier:
"I
have had trouble in the past with certain areas on my course. I
started working with Craig because I wanted an independent source
of information to improve my fertility program that was not connected
with a distributor. After two years of working with Craig,
my members compliment me on the great improvement on our greens,
tees, and fairways. Thank you, Craig, for making my job a
little easier!
Kevin
Froemming
Crow
River Country Club
The
Fountain at Crow River Country Club
Whether you are public or
private, exclusive or small, Paskvan Consulting
will give you the same personalized service that our present clients
have come to expect:
"We
have been using Paskvan Consulting since 1997, and are very pleased
with their services. Craig is very professional and gives us
the personal attention we need to completely understand our test results,
and any actions required to correct the problems. We will
continue to use Craig's services and would recommend him to anyone
interested."
Mike
Bohnenstingl, Supt.
The Preserve Golf Club
Paskvan Consulting's
tag line is, "Take Charge of Your Turf!"
This superintendent, in his first year at a new club, used
Paskvan Consulting to solve a perplexing greens problem. This
superintendent took charge of his turf, and the club's board of directors
took notice:
"Paskvan
Consulting started in August 2001 at Glencoe Country Club. Craig did
some soil tests on my greens. This was a blessing because I learned
a lot about my greens.
"This was my first year at Glencoe and I was having problems
with my greens. After Craig and I talked over the test results and
he came up with a game plan, I started my greens on a corrective
program. It was like day and night! My greens just took
off and never looked back! They came through the winter healthy,
and now this spring they are fantastic!! The board of directors
saw the results achieved in just 8 months and was so pleased
they asked me to have Paskvan Consulting do our tees and fairways
this year.
"I would recommend Paskvan Consulting to everyone!"
Jeff Vinkemeier,
Superintendent
Glencoe
Country Club
