Upcoming greens aeration

We have had a winter unlike any we have seen in the last few years. Significant, extended snow cover has kept the golf course unplayable for a few weeks. It has also kept work from being completed on the golf course, and just like golfers itching to get back out, so is the Grounds staff. As soon as the snow clears, our first task will be to aerate greens.

We aerate our greens early compared to some courses in the area. But there is a very specific reason behind that plan: best management of seed head control and aeration healing. We have covered this in the past and you can read more about it here. The idea is we want to aerate as soon as we can to allow as much healing as possible before we start aggressively regulating the turfgrass growth.

Although this year will be a couple weeks later than usual because of the snow, at the first opportunity we will be aerating greens. We are using very small diameter tines like we did last year, so disruption and material removed will be at a minimum. Depending on what weather factors we are dealing with- frost or freeze delays, rain, etc.- we may opt to stretch the work out over several days. Although this will extend the impact on golfers, we will make it as painless as possible.

We understand that golfers will be excited to get back outside, but to get our season off on the right foot, the Grounds staff will also take this time to do our work.

 

 

We will also be returning to weekly posts starting in March. Thank you

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not scrape snow or ice off the green to clear your line for putting. Turf damage may occur.

 

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Golf Cart tips

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Bunkers and cart paths

It has turned out to be quite a winter thus far, colder and snowier than any of the last several winters. We have been limited in our outside work time, but we are ready to get back at it, and we have started a few projects that will continue over the next few weeks.

First, we have started the process of refilling bunker sand in greenside bunkers. Last year, we refilled fairway bunker back to a consistent depth across the course. So far, we have only finished a few holes- we are dealing with having to schedule loads of sand on days when it won’t freeze to the inside of the dump truck! - but we will work to catch up on any lost time. For now, we are working on getting the sand into all the bunkers and quickly spreading it out. We have not thoroughly leveled every bunker and compacted the sand yet, but those steps will occur. The temperatures are slowly climbing out of their lowest point as we aim for spring, and we will have more workdays available coming soon.

A second, longer-term project we are slowly working on is cart path edging. This is another process we have completed in the past, most recently in 2021. We have tried edging in the winter, spring, and summer. Each time of year has its pros and cons, winter avoids most golfers, summer is better weather, but sometimes we must do the work when it makes the most sense. We would have normally wanted to wait a little later into spring before starting, but with so few other projects available because of the cold and snow, we started edging a little earlier this year. Nevertheless, the edging process was interrupted by the cold too- we had 2 different days we had to stop work because the ground was frozen so solid our edging machine could not cut into it.

Cart path edging is a slow process considering that just the basic stretch of cart paths that a golfer would use to navigate the course is over 4 miles long. That does not take into account the sections that are more just for maintenance access or any other paths around the property. We will work on this project as time and weather allow.

It won’t be long before we are back into a more regular routine of course maintenance. Until then, we have plenty to keep us busy if the weather allows.

 

Starting in March, we will return to weekly posts. Thank you

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please avoid walking through overly saturated or puddled areas on greens if possible.

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Greens aeration

We are aerating greens this week. It may seem early- and it is very early compared to most courses- but there are a couple of very specific reasons that this timing works for us.

Though the timing is early, this is nothing new for us. We have been aerating greens in this window for several years now and it works for our situation.  But, comparing aeration timing between two courses is not a useful metric because of grass differences, tournament schedules, agronomic programs, and more. So, this schedule is good for our greens and calendar, but it wouldn’t necessarily work at other courses.

Sometimes the mid-winter thaw that we target as our aeration window is also the first nice weather in a few weeks that golfers also aim to get back out and play. It may seem as though we are disrupting everything just at the time when some nice winter golf can be played. However, part of our reasoning behind the early season aeration is so that the greens are healed and ready for spring play when the weather turns nice consistently and golfers want to be out regularly. It also allows the course to be ready for our early season tournaments and outings. By aerating now, we impact the first nice winter weather, not the first nice spring weather.

Our biggest reason for aerating in February has to do with our type of grass, Poa annua, and its life cycle. Each spring the Poa plant produces seeds. We work very hard to minimize the number of seeds produced because they can negatively impact ball roll, as well as deplete the energy of the plant. To stop, or at least slow, seed head production, we must slow and nearly stop all plant growth. But, to get our aeration to heal, we need aggressive growth. Recovery and seed head suppression do not work well together, so we aerate early. This allows 3-5 weeks of healing for the greens before we start our aggressive seed head suppression program.  

Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate, and our aeration gets delayed until we are much closer to our first chemical application for seed heads, but we have been lucky that last several years to aerate in February. We are in the midst of this year’s thaw and are hitting the window right on.

 

We will return to weekly posts starting in March. Thank you

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not try and remove a flagstick that is frozen into the cup. Turf damage may occur.

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Golf Cart tips

 

 

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Aeration recap

Last week we completed our spring aeration. Our timing is often several weeks ahead of the “traditional” time, but it works for our situation.

One of the reasons we can accomplish this task early is because it consists of only aerating greens. Other courses that have cool season grass on tees and fairways may choose to wait for slightly warmer temperatures because they have a lot more grass that will need to grow to heal from the aeration. Often, those courses have bent grass, and bent grass needs it warmer to really get growing. Our annual bluegrass greens can thrive at lower spring temperatures than the bent grass, thus healing quicker when it is still cold.

However, the biggest factor we use for deciding on our aeration timing is managing the seed heads on the greens. We use Plant Growth Regulators (PGR’s) to prohibit the plant from producing seed. What the PGR’s also do is stunt growth. Stunted growth directly impacts how quickly the greens can heal from aeration and timing the PGR applications too close to aeration means healing will be severely delayed. But, if we can space the two practices apart from each other, then the greens get some time to heal before the PGR’s are in the system. Then, we introduce the chemical and prevent seed heads from forming later in the spring.

Everything went according to plan last week and our timing was nearly perfect. We had actually planned on aerating starting on 2/13 but the course was too wet from rain all day the Sunday prior, so we had to postpone. However, we still feel like we hit the window early enough to allow healing time before our seed head control program kicks into high gear.

 

We will be returning to weekly posts starting in March. Thank you

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please remember to keep your cart on the cart path when we are “Cart Path Only.”

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Aeration notice

It is the time of the year when the Grounds department watches for a window of good weather to perform greens aeration. Hopefully, in the next two weeks we will get our opportunity. Our timing is often weeks ahead of other courses in the area, but there are reasons for the timing, and it has worked well for us in the past.

We maintain a “scheduled” aeration time on the Bretton Woods yearly golf calendar, usually around the 3^rd week of March. This is our guaranteed time, meaning if all other plans fall through, this is when we will for sure get access to the course. By this late in the spring, we are much less likely to face severe frost delays or other weather-related delays. The problem is, by this time, rounds are increasing rapidly, but more importantly, we are well into our seed head suppression program.

So, we aim to aerate as early as we can in February, usually around the 2^nd or 3^rd week. There are often some mild temperatures mixed in to promote healing and give us our window to work. And the busy spring golf season has not fully kicked off. Most importantly though, February aeration provides at least two weeks buffer before we must start our seed head control. Here are several past posts that paint the picture of our full spring program: discussion regarding seed heads, discussions about timing and reasoning here and here.

Aerating early seems to be a win-win: the Grounds department can time our practices in the best way possible for the turf and the disruption to golfers is minimized by having less seed heads to deal with and avoiding aeration in the middle of spring.

 

 

We will be resuming weekly posts starting in March. Thank you

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please avoid walking through overly saturated or puddled areas on greens if possible.

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Tree removals for Bermuda grass health

We are in the planning phase of tree work to alleviate shade stress on some areas of Bermuda grass. In accordance with the Bretton Woods Tree and Turf Management Policy (shown in full at the end of post, along with a Bermuda grass health-specific addendum) we have selected 19 trees across the golf course that restrict the growth potential of the Bermuda grass and therefore impact turf health.

We have examined each of these areas and the relationship between the tree(s) and the turf in each location. These trees are not integral to the shape of the hole or to the way it was designed to be played. Similarly, none of these scenarios lends itself to replacing the turf species underneath the tree in order for the tree to remain. So, because the goal is to have the best combination of turf and trees at Bretton Woods, in these instances, the trees must be removed to promote healthy turf grass.

We plan on starting this work in the late fall and winter of 2021 into 2022. The various trees slated for removal are spread across the property, with no more than 3 trees being removed from any one hole, and several holes with no work being performed.  It may not be possible to remove all these trees in one season, depending on weather and time. However, establishing this plan gives us the framework to complete this turf health initiative at different times without losing sight of the goal- improved turf health and course playability.

Though 19 less trees may seem dramatic, it is important to remember that since 2014 we have planted over 200 trees on the Bretton Woods property, with another 14 scheduled to be planted this spring alone, nearly covering the entire loss of the removal project being discussed. And, while following our aforementioned tree policy, we have improved the maintenance of our existing tree population by selecting improved species for planting and removing dead or diseased trees as needed.

We have not rushed into the decision to remove these trees. It is in the best interest of the health and playability of the golf course for the selected trees to be removed. By sticking to our tree policy, we will continue to make these informed decisions to improve the property.

 

 

 

Bretton Woods Tree and Turf Management

 

 

Background:

Bretton Woods Recreation Center is a valuable resource providing its members access to a natural

setting for the enjoyment of organized sports activities and other outdoor areas for less formal

recreation, such as picnics and camps. The natural setting located not far from a major urban area makes

it especially rare in these times of densely developed land, typical of metropolitan areas. With the

intention of continuing the tradition of giving members a respite from the hectic urban life in a cared for

but natural setting, members of the Golf Committee, the Grounds Superintendents and management

have formulated a tree and turf management policy as the foundation of a plan to ensure that natural setting through the ongoing care and cultivation of trees.

Objectives:

1.       Continue the Bretton Woods “low input” IPM approach through judicious planting and species selection.

2.       Promote safe recreation through diligent care and removal of hazardous branches and trees.

3.       Ensure a balance between trees and turf health.

Tree and Turf Care:

• Routine inspection of trees will be performed by the Grounds Staff
• Upon discovery of declining or stressed trees, the Golf Course Superintendent (GCS) will determine and

prioritize the need for Certified Arborist inspection and evaluate the need for care. Factors of safety, cost

and importance shall guide the evaluation, in this order.

• Particular attention shall be given to girdling roots and properly cut to relieve pressure when discovered.
• New tree planting locations will be carefully selected in order not to unnecessarily compete with turf health. Mulch around trees will help improve the tree health; careful placement of trees will help reduce negative impacts to turf.
• Assessments of existing trees and their impact to turf health and course conditions; pruning, removal of tree, or adjustment of turf are steps that may be taken on an ongoing basis.
• Dense, thick foliage can make trees susceptible to wind damage. Pruning will be used to improve their life

expectancy and reduce risk.

• Pruning and removing limbs on low branching species will benefit trees and turf.
• Tree management best practices indicate that trees that have been damaged more than 1/3 should be priorities for consideration of removal because they pose safety hazards.
• Limbs or trees posing a safety risk will be immediately remedied through pruning, removal, or bracing.

Planting:

• The need for planting, species selection and location will be determined by the Green Committee, General

Manager and GCS.

• Diversity is a goal of any planting plan at BWRC, however species appearing on the Maryland Department

of the Environment Noxious Weed List will not be planted on BWRC property.

• Planting stock will be of 4” caliper or equivalent whenever possible, with exceptions made on an as

needed basis.

 

 

 

 

Bretton Woods Tree and Turf Management

 

 

Overall, golf is to be played on the best turfgrass possible. Where trees conflict with that approach, we determine the best management strategy. Sometimes, creating more space between the tree and the grass, by adding more rough, which handles shade stress better, is the best approach. Other times, removing the tree is the best way to enhance the turf quality.

Based on our Tree policy, there is a need for some trees to be removed to promote the best growing conditions possible for the Bermuda grass. Trees have been selected for removal due to their proximity to the turf at tees and around fairways. The shade and competition from tree roots negatively impact the health of the Bermuda grass. In these locations, it is neither possible to adjust the line of the fairway or tee to accommodate the tree, as we have done in other locations, nor are these trees critical to the shape of the hole, as are some other trees we have salvaged.

We have identified 19 trees spread across the golf course in need of removal. These trees:

1.      Are not integral to shaping of the hole

2.      Cannot easily have the turf species changed around them to instead leave the tree in place

 

In some instances, replacement trees may be planted in similar locations to those removed. If so, the new tree will be placed in a position to not interfere with the health of the Bermuda grass. It may also be the case that a location for a replacement tree cannot be found at the site of the removal. However, we continue to add additional trees throughout the property to make up for trees lost.

 

We will be resuming weekly posts starting in March. Thank you

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please avoid walking through overly saturated or puddled areas on greens if possible.

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Bunker etiquette

  

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Miniature golf pond

One of the winter projects for the Grounds department this off-season was to put a new liner in the mini golf course pond. After several months of short bursts of work, we completed the job last week.

Some people may not even be aware of the miniature golf course that is located on Bretton Woods property. Those who are aware may not have ever been up to the location though. The course sits on the knoll above and to the left of the clubhouse parking lot as you enter.

The new liner was just installed. The smaller
stone lines the bottom.

The course landscaping was fully renovated back in 2014. The new design included adding large amounts of stone between holes and new plants to freshen the look. Also, there was a new water feature added, consisting of a reservoir pond that is pumped slightly uphill to the top of a recirculating creek.

We have had issues keeping water in the pond since the renovation. Every few days the pond would be nearly empty with no discernible leak or other outlet for the water. So, this year we laid a new liner directly over the existing one to help retain water better. Though we never found a leak in the original liner, refraining from disturbing it and possibly creating a leak, we instead left in place and the new liner simply adds another layer of protection.

A picture of the completed pond,
with all of the stone replaced on
the new liner.

The pond itself contains stone that needed to be moved before we could get the new liner in place. First the grounds staff moved the large stones out of the pit. Then, in half of the pond, the smaller stone was shoveled all the way down to the existing liner. The new liner was laid on the clear half and then all the stone was shoveled from one half, back to the other, onto the new liner. Finally, the remainder of the liner was stretched out and half of the stone was moved back over the top, fully covering the new liner.

The miniature golf course doesn’t see as many rounds as the main golf course does. But it keeps the Grounds department busy making sure it is in the best condition possible.

Weekly posts will resume in March. Thank you.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please avoid walking through overly saturated or puddled areas on greens if possible.

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Bunker etiquette

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

#9 pond update

By now, many of you have seen or heard that there is an issue with the pond on #9. We have formulated a repair plan and will start as soon as possible.

To recap, just before Thanksgiving 2018, the pipe that drains the pond broke, releasing all of the water in about 45 minutes. The damage “repaired” itself, clogging the exit, and refilling the pond. This temporary fix lasted for 2 months. Then in late January, the clog that blocked the original break gave way and released all of the pond water again.

Diagram of new pipe location. For reference, the red lines converge in
the center of the green. The light blue is the new pipe, dashed lines are old pipe. The
clubhouse is out of view to the right.

After reviewing several options, our best choice will be to install an entirely new pipe. We discussed possibly sleeving the existing pipe, but the work seemed to be uncertain to succeed, expensive, and much more disruptive. Since the pipe is 50 years old, we decided that abandoning it completely will be the best idea moving forward. We will work with our golf course construction contractor, McDonald and Son’s for the work. A new pipe will be dug from the corner nearest the clubhouse, extend around behind the green, and then tie back in to the existing drainage area.

Water draining though hole after second break.

The pond refilling before we cut pipe down.

Unfortunately, the timetable for completion is less than ideal. Due to this being an emergency repair and not a scheduled project, we are subject to our contractor’s availability. Right now, their winter work has been delayed for various reasons, most notably weather, and thus will impact their spring projects. So, any free time they may have had will likely be used for make-up time lost over the winter. As of now, no date has been promised. Nevertheless, this contractor has always been very reliable and will get here as soon as they can.

In the meantime, to prevent further refills and releases of the water, as well as the erosion those events cause, we have cut down the overflow standpipe in the pond. This will permanently lower the level of the pond down to 1.5-2 feet until the work can be finished.

Current view of the standpipe, cut down to eliminate
water refilling the pond.

Thank you for your understanding. We will get the situation corrected as soon as possible.

Also, please note, we will return to weekly posts starting in March.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please stay off all grass surfaces during a frost delay.

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Bunker etiquette

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Tree update

An up close picture of an oak leaf infected
with Bacterial leaf scorch

As everyone returns to the course from an extended absence, many will notice some changes to the tree population. We have continued the yearly process of removing dead and damaged trees, as well as pruning others around the entire property. Maintaining a healthy tree stand on a golf course requires removal and pruning of old trees, in addition to the planting of new ones.

Trees die and are damaged on a regular basis. Dead trees are unsightly, dangerous, and costly. We spend many hours cleaning up branches that fall out of dead trees and the occasional dead tree that falls adds many times that in labor. Trees can die of natural causes or be infected by a disease or insect. We also have some damaged trees remaining from the Derecho that swept through the property several years ago. While these trees were not toppled by the storm, they were left severely damaged and stunted.

An example of a tree thinned by Bacterial leaf scorch

2 more examples of Oak trees with Bacterial leaf scorch

We also have tree health to contend with on trees that are not already dead or damaged. Many of our oak trees have been infected with Bacterial leaf scorch. This is an incurable disease that requires yearly maintenance to every infected tree. We also have many maple trees that have insect populations within their bark. The insects are weakening the tree as well as becoming food for woodpeckers. Some of the maples also have possible soil issues as well, as identified by an arborist, that would require testing to diagnose, and soil chemical applications to mitigate. Finally, most of our Crabapple tree population are dead or declining rapidly. The treatment regimen that each tree would require would become very costly when extrapolated over each infected tree on the property, with no guarantee of success.

These trees that are afflicted by diseases or insects can be treated. However, it is a more viable option for Bretton Woods to remove and replace these trees with stronger species or variety, than to try and treat every sick tree. New trees can be chosen to withstand these problems and many more planted for the same cost of saving a few. So, although initially the shock of several stumps may be surprising, later this spring there will be about 20 new trees in the same vicinity on the course. Keep an eye out for small flags indicating these new locations.

Click on this picture to see examples of Bacterial leaf scorch on trees removed between 3 and 15 fairways
as well as the damage present on maple tree to the left of 3 fairway

Click on this picture and focus on the maple tree with many damaged branches

As part of our tree plan, devised with the help of the Golf Committee and outside experts, we are not just removing trees, but we are addressing the most pressing areas for replanting as well. So, next time you are out and see the stumps of old trees, remember that the decision to remove trees was made as part of our tree plan, which includes adding new trees.

We are aerating greens this week. 9 holes will be open each day. Please obey course signs. Thank you.

As a reminder, we will be switching back to weekly posts starting in March. Thank you.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be extra conscious of locating and properly repairing ball marks when the greens are very wet.

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Bunker etiquette

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Winter weed control

Faint blue spots are weeds sprayed
by hand

Each winter we make an effort to remove as many weeds from the Bermuda grass as possible. This year was no exception. The only difference this year is the scope of our program. Through a little bit of planning, some good weather, and a lot of luck, the weed totals this year are far below what they have been in any of the past few years.

Our general program in the past has consisted of hand spraying dormant Bermuda grass tees and approaches with round-up, the non-selective herbicide that can kill all types of plants. We would then follow that up with a broadcast spray application of the same chemical, Roundup, across all of the dormant Bermuda grass fairways to kill all of the weeds in those areas. Finally, we would make one more broadcast spray application with a selective herbicide, once the Bermuda grass has begun to grow. This herbicide does not hurt the Bermuda grass, but kills all of the other weeds.

Blue spots are visible here as well

Similar to years past, we started with hand spraying. If you have played over the last couple of weeks, you will have noticed the blue spots on the tees and approaches. This was the grounds staff spot spraying the weeds on the dormant Bermuda grass. We target the tees and approaches with hand spraying because it is too dangerous to get the big sprayer in such tight areas using chemicals that will kill all of the grass. We can be much more effective, efficient, and safe by using the small sprayer.

Next, we would have normally needed a full or spot spray on all of the dormant Bermuda grass in the fairways. However, this year, there are so few weeds that we won’t be making this application at all. There are probably several reasons that the weeds are so few this year, with the most important being the health of the Bermuda grass headed into last fall/winter. The fairway turf was thick and healthy so there were not any thin areas for weeds to establish.

Lastly, later in spring, once the Bermuda grass has begun to grow, we would make our selective herbicide application. Again, though, due to the lack of weeds, this will be adjusted this year as well. This normally has been a full application on all Bermuda grass. However, this year, our plan is to make only spot applications. We will use our large sprayer, make up a full tank, and drive across all of the fairways, but only spray where there are weeds. This is another opportunity for us to be more effective and efficient.

By reducing the amount of weeds in the Bermuda grass with healthy turf and some good fortune, we will eliminate one entire application and reduce another by more than 50%.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Winter cart path only rules are designed to protect the dormant Bermuda grass. It is not dependent on if the fairways are too wet or not.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Spring preparation

As the calendar prepares to turn to March, the Grounds department prepares to head back outside from winter. We have painted and cleaned and prepped for the golf season and now it is just around the corner.

One of our current tasks is preparing our machines for aeration. Our aerator, a Toro Procore 648, will be serviced and outfitted with new aeration tines. Aeration is scheduled for March 21^st-23^rd but if the weather allows we will aerate at any point sooner than that. There are two main reasons for us wanting to start aeration as soon as we can. First, if the weather is conducive to allowing aeration then it will also be conducive to allow healing. By aerating sooner we will allow for more healing time and less impact on the start of the golf season. Second, by aerating early, we would be able to separate our aeration procedure from our seed head control program. You can read more about seed head control here or more about aeration healing and seed heads here. Bottom line is, if we aerate early enough, one practice won’t impact the other. One might wonder, then why we don’t just schedule aeration for an earlier time? We can’t count on the weather being favorable enough to plan aeration for too early. If it’s too wet or too cold and we miss our scheduled time, then we are stuck trying to fit it in around the early season golf. So we stick with our mid-March schedule and hope for earlier. This way, if we can’t do it early, but we are able to do it at our regularly scheduled time, the members are only impacted exactly as it was scheduled to happen and no worse.

We also have purchased some new equipment to help get this season off to a good start as well. A new greens roller, a new tractor, as well as some smaller tools have all been added to our fleet. The roller is similar to our current machine, but the newest model. The tractor will be used with our over-seeder that was purchased last year. The tractor is bigger and more powerful than our other tractors and will manage the heavy seeding machine with ease. Because the seeder is heavy it put unnecessary stress on the smaller tractors and we would only use the seeder when it was absolutely needed to avoid the wear on our tractor. Now we will have a tractor that has more than enough strength to manage the seeder. These purchases will be tremendous upgrades and will help us to provide better conditions and continue to raise the bar for playability of the course.

All this talk of aeration, golf, and spring can get everyone excited, even us. However, let’s not assume that Mother Nature is finished with winter just yet. Meteorological winter runs through the end of February, but astronomical winter extends until the third week of March, the 20^th this year. Temperatures will start to change and averages have been climbing for some time now. But we may have a snow storm or two to get through and we will still have plenty of frost delays with which to deal!

Also, starting in March we will be going back to weekly posts for the season.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please don’t play on greens that are partially or completely covered in snow.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Roundup on Bermuda grass

One can tell it is truly the heart of winter by looking at the color of the dormant Bermuda grass on the fairways and tees. The signature straw color of the turf strikes a sharp contrast to the relatively bright green of the cool season turf in the rough. But the other striking contrast is the cool season weeds in the fairway turf. These clumps of annual bluegrass, ryegrass, fescue, other grasses and broadleaf plants are unsightly and can affect playability.

Due to weather conditions last year, both snow cover and an exceptionally wet spring, we were unable to spray Roundup on the fairways. Everyone who was out last spring remembers the incredible weed infestation we had in the Bermuda grass. Not only were we unable to make a chemical application to control the weeds, but we were unable to get our machines out to mow the weeds down. With the plants growing freely, the appearance was regrettable.

With prudent planning and some favorable weather, however, this year we were able to make the Roundup application this past week. Weeds in the fairways will be killed, leaving only the dormant Bermuda grass. A second benefit of this application will be seen around the edge of the fairways, in the step cut. Over time, cool season rough grass slowly moves into the Bermuda grass step cut, leading to an undefined edge between step cut and primary rough. This invasion from the cool season rough alters playability and is an eyesore. By spraying the edge between the Bermuda step cut and the rough we can create a crisp line that clearly denotes step cut to rough, again increasing the aesthetic value of the fairways. While some people don’t like the dormant look of Bermuda grass and would much rather have green turf to play on year-round, most can agree that a mono-stand of dormant Bermuda grass is more attractive and plays better than dormant turf mixed with several species of weeds.

In addition, this last fall we were able to make a pre-emergent herbicide application as well. What this did was prevent any weed that had not already germinated from growing in the fairways. The result was fewer weeds in the fairways as we entered dormancy. Fewer weeds meant that for the Roundup application we were able to make a spot spray, meaning there were large areas with no weeds that we did not spray at all. This can be seen in the pictures. The straw colored turf was not sprayed while right next to it the blue/green colored turf was sprayed. Now, between limiting weeds from growing in the fairways and using Roundup to kill any remaining weeds, in short time we should have very clean Bermuda grass. The Roundup application also is a very cost-effective way to manage weeds in the fairways. Making an application now coupled with the pre-emergent herbicide of the fall can save us thousands of dollars come spring time, even possibly completely eliminating an entire chemical application.

Last year was a perfect storm and prevented us from controlling the weeds. This year, we have already improved upon last year, but we don’t want to settle for just making it a little better than last year, we are looking to make large strides and present the absolute best conditions possible. With this recent application, we are on that track.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org