I always enjoy seeing these statistics from NC State. As a superintendent, if I notice turf that doesn't look quite right but I am struggling to ID the problem (or just want a 2nd opinion) I'll send a sample to NC State University where their pathologists can look at it under a microscope and immediately identify the issue at hand.
Below, most bentgrass samples are received at the height of the summer (July)...in terms of diseases, in our climate, if you make it to mid August, we are usually in the clear.
Below, this is the most common issues. Notice that close to 55% of samples they receive have no disease issues. This means it is something induced by man or could be too much water, not enough water or something else like lack of sunlight. When identifying a problem, one must study the green's micro-environment.
