Poking holes

 

 

Two weeks ago we performed a solid tine aerification on all the greens. We did this to vent the surface, going down 3 inches, and allowing for oxygen, nutrients, and water to move into the soil profile. Another benefit of this process is the initiation of new roots. In the picture below, the grass is split in half along where the hole was punched. Notice all the new, healthy, white roots growing in the void in the soil left by the tine. 

 

 

 

 

 

Next Monday we will aerifying again. This time it will be a slightly different process. Instead of going down 3 inches, we will be punching a hole 8-10 inches deep. We will be going this deep in an effort to break up a hard pan layer. The picture shows where the roots stop growing when they reach that layer. The aerification will punch through and fracture this layer along with providing the same benefits of the shallow venting.

 

 

 

Just for comparison sake, I took a sample of the new chipping green in the short game area. For reference, the profiler blade is 8 inches long. Notice the roots dangling out of the bottom of the sample. This is the beauty of new construction and one of the biggest benefits of sand based greens versus soil push up greens.

 

 



Official Summer time update.

Though the calendar said we officially entered summer on Saturday, the weather has been "summer like" for weeks now.

I don't think it's going to make it!

 

With the onset of hot weather it's time to fill divots. In the picture above, that's a good size divot that was replaced but did not survive.  Once weather cools in the fall, replacing will be the preferred method of fixing divots, until that time please use the sand provided to completely fill and then smooth your divots.

 

Yellowing of Poa

As you may have noticed, there is some grass in the fairways that appears to be turning yellow. While there is plenty of drought stress in areas, which is not desired, the yellowing is intentional. We applied a product that inhibits the growth of Poa Annua. This will allow the bentgrass in the surrounding areas the chance to encroach and eventually out compete the Poa.  Bentgrass is a more hardy grass species and possesses many characteristics that make it more desirable. The ultimate goal is to produce a more dense surface that lets the ball sit up.

 

Creepin'

One positive from the heat and humidity, the bermudagrass on the range and short game area is loving life. Here in the past 10 days, I've noticed runners starting to cover the bare areas. The lateral growth of bermudagrass is what made it desirable for our practice area. Through the summer months, we will continue to vigorously cultivate and fertilize to keep pushing as much growth as possible.

 

We're getting there.

What a difference 3 weeks makes. With some favorable temperatures, a shot of fertilizer, aerifying, and slicing things are starting to look better on the range. Looking at the picture on top,  we thought we were looking at sprigging roughly half of the range tee and a large portion on the short game area. Now, if we have to fix anything the areas will be much smaller than originally anticipated. As the summer months and hot weather approaches, the bermuda will be growing very aggressively and will quickly cover the voids.

Having seen improved coverage and increased growth, we feel comfortable opening the tee for use. We ask that utilizing the divot pattern above will help the recovery and maximize the existing turf.

As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at bkeene@blacksburgcc.com or at 540-537-1096.

Range Update.

 

I know many are wondering about the status of the range tee. As you have seen, there was a significant loss in the bermudagrass turf. In conversations I have had with Dr. Mike Goatley of Virginia Tech and Keith Happ from the USGA, we believe there were several contributing factors. First and foremost is the harsh winter we experienced. Bermudagrass is a warm season turf and does not respond well to the extended periods of sub zero temperatures.

Another key factor was the timing of laying the sod and subsequent use. The temperatures after we laid the sod last fall were not warm enough for a long enough duration to allow the grass to fully establish. Then playing off the tee further thinned the turf. In the picture above, the portion of the picture furthest from the point of view is the area we used last fall. There is very little in the way of green turf in that area.  To further prove the point, the target greens, which were sodded two weeks ago are good proof. That grass came from the same fields as the turf on the tee. The only difference is, it was undisturbed going into the winter, and it came through the winter unharmed. The visual difference is night and day.

During aerification

As bad as it looks, both Dr.Goatley and Mr. Happ do not think that the turf is a total loss. Even in the worst looking areas, there are signs of life. The rule of thumb is, one green sprig every square foot, and you will be able to recover. There are few areas that are void of any green leaves, most of which are in the aforementioned "used" area in the middle of the tee.  They both outlined a plan of action that will give us the best chance to get the turf back. First, we aerified the tee and the worst area in the short game area. This will allow the warm air to get into the soil and root zone to increase the soil temperature. This will also allow the rhizomes below the soil surface to produce shoots and leaf tissue. We will be fertilizing every couple of weeks to push the grass that has already greened up. Bermudagrass grows horizontally in an aggressive manner, extra fertilization will allow the thin areas to cover quickly.

Live material, just 3/4 of an inch in the soil

  The $64,000 question is, when will the tee be open? My hope is within the next 2 weeks, portions will have enough turf to allow for use. The areas on the far left side, closest to 15, are in better shape than the rest of the tee. The remainder of the tee, we will have to be patient and allow those areas to recover. If in six weeks it has not recovered, we will have to re evaluate and look into other options to return to acceptable conditions.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via email at bkeene@blacksburgcc.com or call 540-537-1096.

Thank you for your continued patience and support.

Update!

It's been a couple of busy weeks on the course, so I have a couple of things to update.


Slowly but surely.
  

Last week we aerified all the greens. I have good news and bad news. The good news is, virtually all the holes are full of sand. The bad news is, a week after they still look like we just punched them. The healing process is really slow. A combination of cool night time temps and a seedhead growth retardant has really slowed down growth.  An additional fertilizer application will hopefully wake them up and get them growing.

 

 

We've started testing the irrigation system after it's been shutdown all winter. The system is getting some age to it and needs quite a bit more maintenance to keep it running efficiently. If you come upon sprinklers that are on, please be patient, we are trying to fix a problem and the water will go off shortly.

 

 

 

 

 

The range is finally starting to show some signs of life. With the cold nights and morning frosts, it's taken a bit longer to emerge than I hoped. As I've been saying all along, once the temperatures warm, the grass will grow and we will open the tee for use. Just be patient, it's coming, it's just taking it's sweet time.

 



 

 

 

Am I seeing spots?

 

The quick answer to the title of this post, yes. Today we painted these red dots around all the greens. The reason for these dots are for a visual aid while mowing. Over time, the width of the collars can get inconsistent. The dots let who's mowing greens know that they are keeping the proper width. Over time the paint will go away.

 

 

 

The dots also served another purpose on the new greens expansions. Today we were able to get a dry mowing of the new greens sod. Since all the sod was the same, the paint allows us to differentiate what will be collar or approach and what will be putting surface. The picture above is from #8. In the picture, going from right to left, you can see the existing green, then the new expansion, next the new collar and fairway approach. While the green expansion is not all the way down to the same height of the old green, we are working that way.

Just as a reminder, we are aerifying  next Monday and Tuesday, April 14 and 15. We are using the smaller tines like in the past. With any luck and cooperation from Mother Nature, we should be healed in 10 to 14 days.

#1 tee.

On Monday morning the course maintenance staff removed the black walnut tree from the tee complex on the first hole. The decision to remove this tree, and any other, is not something that is taken lightly. Before a decision to remove a tree is reached, it is discussed with the greens committee and a consultant, either the USGA or in this case the course architect.

There are several factors that go into the decision making process. While the tree was not a safety hazard and was in good health, it had a major impact on playability of the golf hole and on turfgrass quality. As evident from the picture above, players were forced to get the ball up in the air quickly in order to carry over the tree. Also, when it is fully leafed out, the landing area is blocked from players view. The turf quality was impacted both directly and indirectly. The grass beneath tree in the drip line was thin and it also caused shade issues on the two lower tees. The placement of the tree forced most players to use the left most portion of the teeing ground. This was in an effort to avoid the tree, thus reducing the usable area of the tee. With it being removed, it will allow players to use the right side of the tee without fear of hitting tree.

 For more information on tree work click ( here ) for an article from the USGA.