Ohio Prestwick Country Club operates as a single-owner, family-oriented club with a strong membership, but it also faces a few tough agronomic realities. The course is preparing for exciting updates, including new irrigation, but for now, single-row irrigation makes water management a challenge. Heavy clay soils, substantial disease pressure, and other Midwest summer stressors further complicate turf management, underscoring why Waseman relies on products that help him keep turfgrass healthy without over-pushing it or his crew.
Building a Healthy, Green Plant Without Excess Growth
Waseman has used Foliar-Pak for over a decade, going back to his previous course and even his time as an assistant. So, when he arrived at Ohio Prestwick in 2021, he immediately added Foliar-Pak to the program, confident in what it could do. Its impact was considerable.
When asked whether he noticed a change after applying Foliar-Pak for the first time at Ohio Prestwick, Waseman did not hesitate.
“Yes. A pretty significant, noticeable difference,” he said.
He credits much of the improvement to three Foliar-Pak products: Bio 12-6-6, Promote, and Foundation Forty.
When he incorporated those products into his program, he says the turf was better prepared for summer stress, and managing disease pressure became much easier than it was when he first arrived.
As Waseman put it, the greens could “withstand all the stresses” of summer (he says they can).
Today, that trio anchors Waseman’s greens program because they produce the turf response he wants to manage every day: good color, strong roots, good plant vigor, a clean cut, and healthy turf without excess top growth.
“Like most superintendents, I’m not chasing top growth on my greens,” Waseman said. “I want healthy, green turf that performs without creating extra clippings or mowing.”
“With Foliar-Pak Bio 12-6-6, Foundation Forty, and Promote, I get exactly that,” he continued. “I don’t see a lot of top growth, but I do get good color, root growth, plant vigor, and a clean cut. Everything stays tight, but healthy.”
That controlled growth also has practical benefits for Waseman’s crew. Clipping yield stays minimal throughout the summer, and while his team mows every day except Sunday, when they roll instead, golfers do not notice a difference in playability. This means less labor, fewer clippings to manage, and less wear on equipment for Waseman and his team.
Standing the Plant Up With CSi L
While Bio 12-6-6, Promote, and Foundation Forty form the core of Waseman’s favorite greens combination, Foliar-Pak CSi L provided one of his most memorable Foliar-Pak moments.
In the middle of one summer, the turf began to lag. Waseman knew it was not the right time to verticut, but he needed to improve the way the plant stood up and mowed. He applied CSi L a couple of times and saw an almost immediate response.
“It just stood the plant up so well,” Waseman said. “You got rigidity in the turf, and that translated into a cleaner cut.”
Players noticed the difference, too.
“They’re like, man, you must have done something pretty incredible overnight,” Waseman said, referring to players’ reaction to the cut and speeds they saw after the application.
Foliar-Pak Recommendation
After more than a decade applying Foliar-Pak, Waseman still recommends it to other superintendents.
“Oh, yeah, I preach about Foliar-Pak to everybody around here,” he said.
“It is just a game changer,” he continued. “It keeps everything pretty good-looking on the course.”
For Waseman, that “good-looking” turf is more than a cosmetic response. It’s turf that looks good because it is healthy, resilient, and manageable. That is why Foliar-Pak remains a key part of his program: it helps him deliver strong color, consistent playing conditions, and healthy turf without creating extra growth, labor, or clipping pressure.
