OTA Facilities Participating in GCSAA Rounds 4 Research

The Ozark Turf Association has several facilities taking part in the 2026 Rounds 4 Research event, which will be held this week from Monday, April 20 through Sunday, April 26. The auction is organized by GCSAA. Items are available for viewing at the website GCSAA Foundation | BiddingForGood.

 The OTA Board has authorized funding for a research initiative led by Dr. Mingying Xiang at Oklahoma State University, titled “The Impact of Fall Drought on Bermudagrass Winter Survivability and Spring Dead Spot Incidence.” This project will be conducted throughout 2026 and 2027, with an allocation of $2,500 per year by the chapter. The Board acknowledges the importance of this study for members managing Bermuda fairways and tees. Any surplus funds will be managed at the Board’s discretion. In 2025, a contribution of $750 was made to the University of Missouri to support their research farm operations. Furthermore, a final payment of $1,500 was issued to the University of Arkansas for their work on wetting agents through the GCSAA Chapter Cooperative Program.  

 This project is presently underway. During the previous autumn, Dr. Xiang prepared the field and inoculated it with spring dead spot. The subsequent phase will involve hiring a graduate student who will implement the planned irrigation treatments over the summer and evaluate disease incidence throughout the fall. The study's objective is to examine the influence of irrigation practices on the development of spring dead spot in bermudagrass.

 The OTA Facilities participating include

Crestwood Country Club – Pittsburgh Kansas

Highland Springs Country Club – Springfield Missouri

Holiday Hills Golf Club – Branson Missouri

Ledgestone Country Club – Branson West Missouri

Osage National Golf Resort – Lake Ozark Missouri

Shadow Valley Country Club – Rogers Arkansas

Springfield-Greene County Park Board MO. Courses

·       Bill and Payne Stewart Golf Course

·       Horton Smith Golf Course

·       Rivercut Golf Course

Springfield Golf and Country Club – Springfield Missouri

Triple Creek Golf Course – Cole Camp Missouri

The OTA Board of Directors thanks these courses and their management teams for donating rounds.