Bermuda grass sod

Bermuda grass makes up a large percentage of our managed turfgrass and 99.99% of that turf survived winter and is off to a great spring. Nevertheless, the .01% is still something we are working to improve and repair. Last week we were finally able to get sod for the worst areas.

We had temperatures in the 90’s in mid-April, and then a dramatic cool down. All the way into mid-May was cooler than normal, especially overnight. We have also been very dry throughout that same stretch. Neither of these factors are conducive to strong Bermuda grass growth, so our best option for the particularly poor areas is sod. Unfortunately, our local sod producer experienced the exact same temperatures and lack of rainfall as we did, meaning they struggled to get their Bermuda grass sod ready for harvest. This is what caused the time between seeing the need for sod in these struggling areas and the time when we were actually able to make the repairs.

Nevertheless, we were able to secure sod last week and
we wrapped up the work in just a couple of days. The sod was laid at #1 white tee, #2 approach, #3 approach, #4 gold tee, #7 approach, #14 approach, two spots in #15 fairway, #15 approach, #16 approach, and our Bermuda grass soccer field. Several of these areas are repeat offenders that we continue to work hard on improving. #1 tee has been a shade issue, which we were able to alleviate this past winter, so we expect improvement in this area moving forward. #4 tee will have tree work performed this fall/winter to address its shade issues. Several of the approaches had new drains installed this winter and the sod that we laid back over the drains is what didn’t survive. This is likely due to the extra stress of winter work on warm season turf. And the other spots where work has previously been done but continue to struggle, we hope can be improved with the Verti-quake, which we have already used once this spring and will continue to use through the summer. (The link describes the Shockwave, but we bought a Verti-quake- identical machines, different names.)

Having Bermuda grass as a dominant turf for any surface in this region is risky. We are further north than the Bermuda grass would prefer. So, having some repair work to do in the spring is really just par for the course, and being able to limit it to such a small amount is a huge victory. We are happy the sod is done and we can look forward to the rest of the season.

 

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please enter and exit all bunkers on the low side. While this may result in slightly more distance to rake, it will keep the sod on the face of the bunker from tearing. It is also much safer! Thank you.

 

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

Improving the stone on the course

Taking care of the turf and grounds on the property takes up nearly all our time and focus. But we realize that there is more to the experience of being at Bretton Woods than just the grass. Especially on the course, we try to make the entirety of the round enjoyable, from the turf to the landscapes and hardscapes. We have started the process of updating the stone around benches and water coolers to enhance the visual appeal.

Many years ago, loose gravel was placed around most of the benches and water cooler stations. Stone or gravel of any type does serve a very important purpose in these locations. These are areas that we don’t want grass- or any weed for that matter- and the stone keeps plants at bay. It also allows to easily spray herbicides to kill any weeds that do break through without damaging any other turf. Stone can also provide a nice visual contrast from the surrounding grass.

However, the stone that was in place has outlived its welcome. In fact, it likely needed to be changed long before this but now is when it has made it to the top of the project list. Over the next several weeks, we will be out updating the stone around the course. We started last week and will be working on this project at any available time throughout the season.

We have chosen a larger size stone this time. It is a nicer looking rock, rather than gravel, and it is sturdier also. The larger size will help it withstand being moved from water and from our debris blowers. Staying in place better will help it last longer and look cleaner more consistently. We still have the benefit of weed suppression and herbicide tolerance from the previous gravel, but with a new, updated appearance.

Not all the stone on the course is gravel though. More recently, though still many years back now, we placed nice stone under a few trash cans and mulch washout areas. Because it has been so long, some of these areas need refreshing. Over time, some of the stones have sunk into the soil or been buried by debris washed over the top. So, as part of the hardscape enhancement, any previously placed stone will be lifted, cleaned, and reset for a renewed appearance also. In some instances, some fresh stones may also be added to fill in any gaps.

This will likely be a “summer long” process exchanging stone on the course. But the improvements will be noticeable and worth the wait.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please enter and exit all bunkers on the low side. While this may result in slightly more distance to rake, it will keep the sod on the face of the bunker from tearing. It is also much safer! Thank you.

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

First cut of native areas

May is usually a great month for plants. Trees, flowers, grasses- even Bermuda grass- start really ramping up their growth. Additionally, the grasses in our low-maintenance, native areas start to fill out as well. Early May is when we start our maintenance in these native areas to prepare them for the season.

Just like most aspects of grounds maintenance at Bretton Woods, the native areas are managed on a program. That program has taken several years to develop to the level it is at now, and we likely are not done tweaking it, but at least right now, the native area process starts in May. As mentioned, everything starts to grow about as vigorously as it will all season in May. This makes it a good time to cut the tall grass down, including cutting back any weeds that have started. Waiting too much longer and the grass- and weeds- will get too tall and the mower will struggle to cut. Last week we worked through this first cut using our Ventrac tractor. It takes about 3 and half days to complete everything but it is a smooth process.

Mowing is the main part of our native-area maintenance program. Next, we’ll apply herbicide to control any broadleaf weeds. The grass will quickly rebound from this trim and mature nicely for the season, leaving the native areas ready for another summer.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please enter and exit all bunkers on the low side. While this may result in slightly more distance to rake, it will keep the sod on the face of the bunker from tearing. It is also much safer! Thank you.

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

Tee flowers and shrubs

Remembering that we manage the entire property can get lost sometimes when we focus so much on turf health and playability. Taking time to beautify the surrounding areas can go a long way in enhancing the member experience. We recently added some new greenery around the course.

Bretton Woods is more of a natural landscape than a perfectly planted garden. We do have some shrubs and ornamental trees, but they are limited in diversity and scope. We need plants that are very low maintenance, deer resistant, and hardy. We don’t have a high landscape budget or dedicated staff, so low input species are important. Nevertheless, we did recognize that we had some gaps in our landscape, especially on the course, that needed something installed. So, over the last few weeks we have been working on introducing some new plants in specific locations.

A key point for us to make this work is to start small. Planting hundreds of new plants and then not being able to keep up with watering and having some suffer defeats the purpose. We also are trying out several different species to see what might work better in our microenvironment and withstand the deer population. If we find that a couple of our choices are not the right fit, then we don’t have too many to replace because we started smaller in scale. Lastly, we made a few of our selections based on what was available at local nurseries in the area. For this round of planting, we chose a mix of both small and larger flowering shrubs, as well as some small trees to place in several mulch areas around the course:

                Crape myrtles- 1 each near #1 red tee and #3 red tee

                Swamp rose mallow- near #16 tee

                Black lace elderberry- #15 tee

                Virginia sweet spire- #1 black/blue tee

                Ninebark- #11 tee

                Northern bush honeysuckle- #8 tee

                Wrinkle leaf goldenrod- #17 tee

 

Our only setback thus far has been the very cold night we endured last week, which killed all the young leaves on the crape myrtles. The swamp rose mallow wasn’t damaged, but it is also a heat loving plant, which has been absent thus far and so it has been slow to get going.

 

So far, the plants look good, and we are excited to watch them mature.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please enter and exit all bunkers on the low side. While this may result in slightly more distance to rake, it will keep the sod on the face of the bunker from tearing. It is also much safer! Thank you.

 

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

Steve McDonald site visit

Sometimes a fresh set of eyes can help see problems in a new light and offer new or better solutions. Last week, we had a regional turfgrass consultant out for site visit for exactly this reason: to bounce questions off and get some helpful tips.

Steve McDonald has been doing course visits in the Mid-Atlantic region for many years. He has a keen eye for all things turf and playability related. He sees golf courses across the area encompassing the entire spectrum of facility types from high-end clubs to smaller, daily fee courses. With this background and knowledge, we invited Steve out to discuss some of our problem areas.

Topics included the damaged Bermuda grass on #1 tee, and several approaches, and what some of the factors are that are causing the poor turf. We wanted Steve’s opinion on our pre-emergent weed control program in the Bermuda grass and improvements to make to keep Poa annua out. Luckily, we are not having any issues with greens, so we only briefly talked about the putting surfaces. For the full report and information, please see the link below to Steve’s report:

 

Bretton Woods Agro notes May 2025

 

We are happy with how the course has progressed through the spring, but having a veteran of the turfgrass industry visit is still a good opportunity. Gaining insight into some of our trouble areas and learning new strategies is always helpful and Steve’s visit provided just that.

Happy Memorial Day

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

After filling your divot with sand, either on a tee or fairway, please smooth the sand pile out so our mowers don’t cut through the sand.

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

Another severe storm

As we get into the growing season, it also signals the start of the severe weather season. Last Friday afternoon, we were hit by a glancing blow from a severe thunderstorm cell, causing quite a bit of damage.

Thunderstorms are very hit and miss- for several years it seemed as though we would miss most if not all of them, and the ones that did cross the property were tame compared to their potential. Suddenly that has changed over the last two years. Towards the end of July 2024 we were hit by a very strong storm that toppled many trees, scattered debris across the property and forced a center-wide closure for 2 days. Now, Mother Nature has struck again: a strong storm swept through las Friday.

About 20 trees were taken out and many more branches and smaller sticks were strewn across the ground. We did receive rain with the storm, but bunkers did not wash out. Power was knocked out to the lower end of the property- tennis, grounds, and the irrigation pump house- for 18 hours. This power outage also caused the tennis bubble to deflate and remain closed for an extended period of time.

Luckily, this storm was not as intense as the storm we endured last summer. Fewer trees in total were lost, and many more that were knocked down this time were in the native areas and much less impactful to golf. The storm on Friday was also much smaller and more focused: hardly a stick could be found on holes 4-9, while several trees fell on the driving range, 17, 18, and tennis, while the 2024 storm left debris and downed trees from one end of the property to the other.

Cleanup started immediately, and the golf course was able to remain open throughout. With the help of our tree contractor, we will have most of the cleanup done within a few days. We will leave some of the peripheral debris for a later time- whether that is later in the season or even possibly the offseason, depending on our priorities elsewhere.

One quick storm, moving through in minutes, can cause damage that lasts for days or weeks. This recent storm hit us earlier in the severe weather season compared to last year, which hopefully isn’t a sign of things to come. Cleanup will take time, and hopefully we don’t take another direct hit before our work is completed.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

After filling your divot with sand, either on a tee or fairway, please smooth the sand pile out so our mowers don’t cut through the sand.

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

Bermuda grass sod

Bermuda grass is always the topic of spring. The greens and rough are usually at their best, but the Bermuda grass is still figuring itself out after the winter. We have written about our work on the Bermuda grass recently, and now another follow up blog discussing the sod work we just completed.

After completing the compost, we finished our last major step of Bermuda grass work last week: sod. Unfortunately, some of the areas are repeat offenders in terms of winter damage. We will be discussing this topic specifically with a regional agronomist this week, and we have a few ideas for improvements to make. But in the short term, these areas still need to be repaired. In total, we ordered 5 pallets of sod, or 2500 square feet. When compared to the 45 acres of Bermuda grass that is managed across the property, this amounts to .1% of the Bermuda grass that needed to be repaired- overall not too bad.

The sod process is very straightforward; we remove the old sod, aerate the area to encourage rooting, spread some compost and incorporate into the native soil, and then lay the new sod. Once the new sod is down, we fertilize and water it. Even though we have been in a stretch of wet weather, we don’t want the new sod to be deprived of anything essential for growth in order to maximize its chances of survival.

After the sod is watered, we will be patient and let it grow for 10-14 days. Once it has rooted down, we will roll and topdress it with sand and prepare it to be mowed like the existing turf. After a few more weeks of slowly working it into our regular mowing schedule, the new grass will be harder and harder to differentiate from the old grass.

Because Bermuda grass is not ideally suited for our region, it can be damaged in the winter. Laying some new sod is part of the spring preparation for the season regardless of the winter weather. We expect to make some repairs, and luckily, this year it was minor.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

After filling your divot with sand, either on a tee or fairway, please smooth the sand pile out so our mowers don’t cut through the sand.

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

Weed control

After the very dry fall we had to end 2024, we were left with some voids, mostly in the rough height turf. Nothing is more opportunistic than broadleaf weeds and they took advantage of the thin turf. We will be out in the next couple of weeks aggressively spraying to control those weeds and give the advantage back to the turfgrass.

Last fall was very dry. Despite our best efforts using the irrigation system, there is no substitute for rain. Most areas that are well covered by the irrigation survived the drought well, but areas outside the sprinklers or where coverage is less consistent, especially in the rough, suffered greatly. As the grass continued to dry down and die in some instances, this left gaps in the turf canopy and at precisely the time that our preemergent weed control from the spring was wearing off. Clover, chickweed, and other broadleaf weeds seized the opportunity to take hold in the newly created open spots in the grass.

We do not control all the weeds on the property. The acreage is too great and there really is no need to use that volume of herbicides. Even in years when the turf cover stays strong through the fall, weeds can still make their way in from the periphery through natural seeding and plant movement. So, spring weeds are not new, but there is a slightly higher amount than normal this year.

Aiming to keep a weed-free playing corridor, we treat about 40 feet around all greens, tees, and fairways with post-emergent herbicides. Green and tee surrounds are spot sprayed, while fairway surrounds are sprayed in full due to the larger area as well as greater penchant for weeds. Treating in this way keeps the most in-play areas clean.

Weeds are a natural part of the golf course- the most common definition of a weed is “a plant out of place”- which allows for many types of plants to at some point be considered a weed. For us, broadleaf weed control is a measured approach, working to keep the areas most in-play as clean as possible.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

After filling your divot with sand, either on a tee or fairway, please smooth the sand pile out so our mowers don’t cut through the sand.

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

GS3

For about 2 years the United States Golf Association (USGA) worked to develop a smart ball. The idea was to Superintendents a tool that would give them concrete data to improve playing conditions. This past March, the ball became available for purchase, and we bought one for Bretton Woods.

The GS3 ball sitting on the Stimpmeter

For many years, the only tool to test putting green performance was the Stimpmeter. Every golfer has talked about how fast the greens are rolling or heard it referenced on TV. A Stimpmeter is a three-foot-long metal stick, with a center groove for the ball to roll down, and a notch in which the ball is placed to start. The tester raises the Stimpmeter up from one end until the ball starts to roll down the groove. The ball rolls out a distance and the length from the end of the Stimpmeter to the where the ball stopped is measured, and that is the number that everyone discusses- how many feet the ball rolled away from the Stimpmeter. The test is to be repeated twice in one direction, then twice from where the ball stopped, back towards the original starting point. An average is taken of the measurements to give the final speed of the green.

Stimpmeter

But one issue with the Stimpmeter as described above is the room for inconsistencies between testers both in performing the roll and measuring. As one raises the Stimpmeter to start the ball, if you don’t stop raising as soon as the ball moves, then you can give the ball more slope than needed and increase its momentum. Or, if the test is performed on a slight slope in any direction, the numbers can be skewed. Human error was moderate for the test, but it was the best we had for a long time, so it was standard practice.

Aside from the possible human error aspect, a myriad of other factors contribute to how fast or slow greens are on any given day- weather, turf health, staffing, grass type, time of year, etc. can all affect the speed of greens. The USGA wanted to take as many of the variables out as possible, so they developed a smart ball.

This new tool is called GS3, and it is a smart ball with identical size and weight to a regular golf ball. Inside the GS3 is a computer and gyroscope, which pairs via Bluetooth to a user’s phone. The ball is used on a Stimpmeter exactly as before, but now most of the human error is removed. This is what the ball does:

1.       Measures green speed- but instead of using a tape measure to physically measure how far the ball rolls, the GS3 takes data points along its path and calculates how fast it is slowing down. Using an algorithm developed during those many years of testing, the USGA has been able to generate a green speed number from the data.

2.       Measures green smoothness- the smoothness of a green is defined as how much up and down movement a ball feels while rolling across the surface. Again, after years of testing, the USGA was able to find in the data a baseline amount of vertical movement that the ball is subjected to, as well as larger deviations. The measurement of these larger deviations is what gives us the smoothness reading. More, and larger deviations above the baseline vertical movement is interpreted as a less smooth putting surface.

3.       Measures green trueness- the trueness of a green is defined as how much left and right movement a ball experiences when rolling across the surface. Like the smoothness, testing revealed a baseline number, and deviations in either direction from the baseline represent the level of trueness a surface produces.

4.       Firmness- the GS3 comes with a drop fixture as well as the Stimpmeter and the drop fixture is what is used to measure firmness. The GS3 is placed in a weighted mallet and dropped from a standard height down onto the green. The ball measures how much “bounce” was felt when hitting the green. Another algorithm then gives us a measurement in inches of how deep the mallet penetrated the green. Deeper equals less firm greens and shallower equals more firm greens.

This is the tool used to test firmness. The ball
is placed in the metal piece at the bottom
and the entire stick is raised, then dropped

All these measurements are sent directly to a phone and uploaded to the cloud. We can then review the numbers and compare them to everything that is affecting the green, most notably our cultural practices and the weather.

What does all this mean for Bretton Woods? We have been using the GS3 since March and we are still just in the exploratory phase. Getting used to the GS3, developing a routine of testing, interpreting and using the results has taken us all that time. We have learned a few things, but currently our data set is too small to make any grand alterations. But the idea is that as time goes on and we gain more information, we will start to adjust if needed based on the solid data that we can now measure.

The USGA recommends consistent testing but starting slow and learning the tool well before making any drastic changes. That is exactly what we are focusing on for now and we are confident the GS3 will help us keep moving forward.

 

Have a good Memorial Day.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

We appreciate everyone’s effort to fill divots on tees and fairways. Please remember to smooth the sand after filling the divot. Do not leave a pile because it damages the cutting units on our mowers.

 

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

Bermuda grass sod

Thus far, the Bermuda grass has been off to an above average start. We wrote a more in-depth post regarding the Bermuda grass a few weeks ago, which you can read here. However, nothing is perfect, so last week we removed a few spots of poorly performing Bermuda grass and replaced them with new sod.

Bermuda grass is not in its ideal growing environment this far north. It has adapted well and does a great job, especially in our situation. But, even in a spring when the overall Bermuda grass health is above average, there are still areas where we can improve. Although we can’t always lay new sod as early in the season as we would like, new sod is still the fastest, easiest way to repair poor areas of Bermuda grass.

It is a fact that growing Bermuda grass this far north guarantees that some sod work will need to be done every year. Some years the damage and amount of sod needed is demoralizing- read about 2018 here. Other years, we need very little sod at all. This year is a year of needing very little sod and being able to focus on repairing some areas that have been neglected in other years because of the extensive need for sod across the property.

We ordered 3 pallets of sod- 1 of which was entirely for the pool- and completed the replacement of spots on holes 1, 5, 7, 11, 13, 16, and 17 and soccer. While that is a long list of holes needing sod, in most cases each hole needed only several pieces. And in most cases the spots we repaired are right along cart paths and in low impact areas. We used the most sod on #7 to repair shaded areas along the cart path down the left side. On holes 11 and 13, we did spots on the blue and black tees. #17 was the only hole with sod in the fairway that is in play. Luckily, the spots are very small and based on experience, the sod heals very quickly and will play normal in a short time.

Every year is different, and the Bermuda grass responds differently each spring. But we are happy with the progress we have made this year and how healthy the fairway turf is. We know some sod work will be required every year, but it was great to have so little to do this year.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

We appreciate everyone’s effort to fill divots on tees and fairways. Please remember to smooth the sand after filling the divot. Do not leave a pile because it damages the cutting units on our mowers.

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

New mulch areas

Over the last few weeks, we have been adding some new wood chip mulch areas around trees in various locations. A combination of poor turf conditions, rough terrain for our mowers, and aesthetics, drove us to make the changes.

We are lucky enough to have a vast supply of wood chips on site. All the tree work that we do during the year is deposited in the large area out to the left of holes #5 and #6. Everything from the small sticks we collect after a storm to the large branches and small trees that we remove through the season gets piled. Once a year, our tree contractor comes in and chips all the debris for us to reuse. This is the mulch we use across the course in the spring. And now, we have added a few more locations to our list.

Trees and turf compete for the same resources- light, water, and food. Most times the trees win for food and water due to their extensive root system. They also catch most of the light, only leaving filtered sun to reach the grass below. These factors can lead to instances of poor turf quality beneath trees.

Sometimes part of the extensive root system of the tree can
be right at the surface also. Continually mowing over these roots is very rough on our machines. Bent blades, broken bolts, and general above-normal wear and tear can lead to premature deterioration of the mower components. Any chance that we have to minimize this damage is a positive step to prolonging the life of these very expensive machines.

The new mulch also looks nice. Mixed areas of dirt, thin grass, and roots can be unsightly. Covering all of that up with wood chips can really clean an area up nicely. We can create beds that flow with the line of trees, or fit into the existing terrain, and make it seem as though the bed should have always been there.

We aren’t planning to mulch around every tree. Not only is that a daunting task, but golfers don’t prefer to play from mulch in most instances. We are focusing on trees that are not in play at all, or far enough offline that if a ball were to get in the mulch, it would count as a proper penalty for a poor shot. Once we have determined a tree or group of trees as candidates for mulch, we strip one line of turf away as our border. Cutting and removing this strip allows the new mulch to set right against the grass that is remaining and gives the new bed a nice clean edge. Some trees that we have done recently include around both practice greens, #10 tee, and several trees on #6.

We are progressing at a slow pace adding new mulch beds. We finish a few trees and let those settle in and see how they look before moving on to the next group. So far, we are happy with the improvements.

Happy Mother's Day from Bretton Woods

 

 

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

We appreciate everyone’s effort to fill divots on tees and fairways. Please remember to smooth the sand after filling the divot. Do not leave a pile because it damages the cutting units on our mowers.

 

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

Entrance sign update

Several weeks ago, we wrote about the new entrance sign near River Road. Since that post, we have now added flowers to brighten up the space.

The new entrance sign has been a great improvement. One feels like the sign now matches the beauty of the property. Our goal for the flowers was to enhance the overall appearance of the entrance, without being flashy.

Our first step was plant selection. Although it is a highly visible part of the property, it is not an easily managed place on the property. It has no irrigation and is very near the main road. The plant material needed to be very hardy and tolerant of all conditions. We chose all native Maryland perennial flowers and shrubs knowing they could handle all the different seasons and temperature swings. And choosing perennials allows the planting to mature and grow into a nice long-term accent to the sign.

Secondly, we wanted interest across all four seasons. The club is certainly busiest from April through October, but there is still steady traffic in the colder months as well. No one wants a bare, drab planter in the off-season, nor do we want to be out planting different flowers all the time. We do switch out annual flowers in other parts of the property, but doing this sometimes causes intervals between planting where a bed may be empty. We did not want this particular bed to be empty at any point. And we did not want it to be boring at any point either. We planted different flowers that all bloom at different times, allowing for something to be in season from March through November. Then to carry over the coldest months, the shrubs we placed on each side of the sign itself will have bright red berries all winter.

Although it will take time for the planter to mature, the new plants seem to be settling into their new location well. As they get established, we expect many years of success and beauty at the entrance to the club.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

We appreciate everyone’s effort to fill divots on tees and fairways. Please remember to smooth the sand after filling the divot. Do not leave a pile because it damages the cutting units on our mowers.

 

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

Upgraded driving range tee planters

Planters and flowers help to break up a space and add some beauty. Such is the case at the driving range tee, where new planters were recently placed to improve the aesthetics.

We previously had planters up at the driving range tee. They were plastic and performed quite well. Unfortunately, being in a location where golf balls and golf clubs are constantly flying around, the planters were also easily broken. Several of them had chunks taken out. When we replaced the driving range mat, we also purchased new planters and they were installed last week.

The new planters are made of recycled plastic and will handle not only the elements, but also the occasional errant ball or club. These boxes are also larger than the previous ones and fill the open space better. Like other locations around the clubhouse, we planted lantana in the planters at the driving range.

Although it is a small touch, the flowers at the driving range are nice. After upgrading the mat, having new planters also helps to complete the space.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not climb up the steep face of the bunkers.

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

Tree planting recap

Many years in a row we have been planting new trees on the property. Although trees have fallen in storms, or we have removed trees for other reasons, we are still significantly net positive in our tree population. This year’s batch of trees were just planted last week. Our top priority areas to address this year were: between 12 and 13 fairways; between 1 and 10 fairways, and between 1 tee and 18 fairway.

The area between 12 and 13 had lost several trees over many years. We developed a plan to replace most of those trees lost, but with some new species as well as placement that was better suited to the health of the Bermuda grass. In order to plant as many trees as we felt necessary, we split this particular area into a two year project. Last year we planted 5 trees in this spot and this year was another 5 trees. The trees include: 2 Sugar maples, 2 Sweet bay magnolias, and 1 American beech.

In the space between 1 fairway and 10 fairway there were two dead pine trees that we removed this past winter creating a much larger void than before. Cautious to avoid creating too much shade we opted for smaller, minimal shade producing trees. However, we were still able to plant 4 trees in the space. These trees include: 3 Crape myrtles (that will help complement the crape myrtle that is already in place between the fairway bunkers of 1 and 10), and 1 Dawn redwood (which ties in nicely with the 3 Dawn redwood we planted on the other side of 10 fairway last year).

Finally, between 1 tee and 18 fairway was another open area that had been populated by pine trees as well. The pine trees were causing shade issues on the Bermuda grass as well as fading in health. In place of the pines, this year we planted 3 Japanese snowbell. This is a new species to the property and will add some great interest with their flowers.

Being able to add new varieties of trees is wonderful for the property. Being able to place the new trees in spots that add interest when playing the course but do not adversely affect the Bermuda grass is great too.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not climb up the steep face of the bunkers.

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

Next step for the Bermuda grass

Update: After this post was already written, and posted, we decided to delay the slicing process by 1 week. As always, the weather plays a huge role in what we do or don’t do, and the temperatures for this week don’t look as good as we would like, including an overnight low near 40. This is not conducive to Bermuda grass growth, so we decided to wait. The information below is still relevant, the work will just be done next week instead.

We finally had a full complement of good Bermuda grass weather- a warm day AND warm overnight. It was only one day, but it made a difference. The Bermuda grass is trending in the right direction now and we are on to the next step of our program: slicing. We will be working on slicing the fairways and approaches this week.

For several years now we have been using our large slit-seeder as a slicing tool for the Bermuda grass. We empty the hopper of any seed because we are only interested in the discs. Bermuda grass has growing points all along its roots, rhizomes, and stolons. If those structures are cut anywhere along their length, they can root and grow a new plant- like a sprig. However, for us, we aren’t purchasing sprigs, we are simply taking one existing plant, cutting it, and getting two plants. This process can help to fill in weak areas, as well as increase the overall density of any area because it creates two growing points and a new plant that will start to move laterally.

We have settled into this routine of slicing early in the season for one main reason. The Bermuda grass is always weak coming out of winter. Granted, some springs are stronger than others, but overall, the weakest time for the Bermuda grass is spring. So instead of being more aggressive and truly vertical mowing the Bermuda grass- which digs down into the canopy, cuts the growing tissue and removes excess organic material and thatch- we still perform the cutting part but not the material removal part. Especially in weaker than normal areas, vertical mowing can take out too much material, including ripping out the small amount of grass that may be trying to survive.

Slicing is a less stressful practice for the grass but still provides the benefit of cutting and encouraging new growth. It gives the Bermuda grass a nudge towards new growth, without hindering the weakest areas too much.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not climb up the steep face of the bunkers.

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

Compost for the Bermuda grass

This week we will be making a compost application to the Bermuda grass. We are still working on managing the recovery of the fairways and the compost is part of the plan. We have been making compost applications for many years, including several spring applications.

Just like for other plants, if the soil is healthy, the Bermuda grass will be healthy. The compost helps build healthy soil on the course by feeding the microbial population. The microbes break down the organic material in the soil and release nutrients back into the profile. Adding compost also improves soil structure. Compost can aid in relieving compacted soils and help create a loamier soil. This in turn creates more pore space for air and water. Having more pore space allows for the exchange of oxygen, but also in water management. Water is more easily able to infiltrate and move through the soil.

A secondary benefit of the compost application is related to the material itself. Not only is the compost warm, but it is also very dark in color. The dark color warms up quickly in the sun and can raise the canopy temperature as well as raising the temperature of the soil surface. At this point in the season, any added warmth is a boost to the Bermuda grass.

Though we are still struggling with winter kill related to water and shade, the program we have established for the health of the Bermuda grass is working. Areas that have adequate drainage and light are off to a great start this season. Compost applications are part of that program, and we will continue the process.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not climb up the steep face of the bunkers.

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

Current state of the Bermuda grass

We continue to manage the recovery of the Bermuda grass from winter damage. As much as we want everything to be perfect immediately, we still must wait for the conditions to be right.

We did suffer winter kill on the Bermuda grass, almost certainly from the 2-week period from the middle of December thru the end of the year. Most of the winter was relatively mild, but damage can be done in a short time.

The most common factors for winter kill on Bermuda grass are excess moisture and cold temperatures: in this period of time in December we received nearly 5” of rain combined with average overnight lows of 21 degrees, including several nights of single digits. The rain that fell did not have time to soak in or sufficiently move off some Bermuda grass surfaces. You can still see the evidence of this on the course- low lying areas, areas near drains, and areas where the water flowed across the grass are the most damaged areas. With all this moisture in place, the temperatures plummeted and stayed cold for a couple of weeks.

Luckily, the vast majority of the Bermuda grass is healthy, though all our focus will be on the deficient areas. At the time of posting, we still have not had true Bermuda grass growing weather yet. Overnights have still been very cool, including a few frosts. Although daytime temperatures have been comfortable, they have not been great for the fairways. This means that the best weather is still to come and natural recovery will occur.

This is an example of a place where
the water ran across the Bermuda grass. We even
installed a drain in this exact location last fall, but
there was too much water and temperatures were too cold, and the water
could not move off fast enough.

From our perspective, we are also prepared with additional fertilizer for all the bad areas. Once the weather is conducive to Bermuda grass growth, we will apply fertilizer weekly to encourage rapid recovery. We also have our annual spring compost application upcoming, likely starting the week of the 8^th. This will also aid in healing. Next, we will slice the Bermuda grass, severing the growing points of the tissue and encouraging new growth at each cut. Lastly, some areas will take too long to recover on their own and will need to be sodded. We have already contacted our sod supplier to order new grass. However, the sod supplier’s Bermuda grass is also still recovering from the winter and is still too immature and weak to be harvested, so there is no timetable yet on when sod will arrive.

Unfortunately, there is no perfect grass for our region. Bermuda grass is our best option and provides many benefits to Bretton Woods. But Bermuda grass also comes with drawbacks and dealing with issues leftover from winter is one of them.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not climb up the steep face of the bunkers.

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

Rough grass growth rate

We are in the midst of a stretch of weather that is nearly perfect for cool season grass growth. Noticeable growth in one day and clippings everywhere are sure signs of grass that is rapidly growing. We have increased our frequency of cut and are working on clipping management, but it will take some time for the growth rate to slow.

The last couple of weeks has been warm, but not too hot (minus the 1 weekend that as far above normal); good moisture but not too wet; and cool overnight, but not too cold. These are the ingredients that the rough need to grow. Sometimes we have 1 or 2 of the factors, but right now we have all 3 and the growth rate is a result of this. It is likely that some of you have seen your home lawns explode in growth over this stretch as well. The growth will taper off, but right now it can be a struggle to keep up.

We can’t cut every bit of grass on the course every day. We would need a person for every machine we own, plus guys to do the non-grass cutting jobs. This doesn’t work for several reasons: first is the labor cost, but as important, the wear and tear on the grass would be too much. It would suffer by the middle of the summer and likely die by the end of summer. So, we must space our mowing times out. But when the grass gets into stretches like it has been over the last two weeks, we do increase our frequency of mowing some. Increasing the times we mow per week keeps the grass at a manageable height both for our work and for golfers. Cutting more often also reduces the clippings because less grass is being cut off with each mowing.

Though it may seem like it, we are not suddenly mowing at a higher height of cut either. The grass really is just growing that much per day. Chopping off that much grass each time leaves clippings. Increasing the times, we cut can reduce it, but most of the time there are clumps regardless. For this we send out blowers to clean up afterwards. A few passes around each green with our tow behind blowers and the surrounds are clean.

Unfortunately, we don’t get the opportunity to mow the rough when it is dry and the clippings can just fall into the canopy. However, we are still doing what we can to minimize the mess and stay on top of the situation.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please remember to remove any bunker sand that may be stuck to your spikes before walking on the greens.

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