Halloween Harvest update

Bretton Woods is unique in many ways, from our membership demographics, location, and events. Some of these events require the Grounds department to perform unique jobs. Such is the case with our Halloween Harvest event last weekend. Here is a post from several years ago, that describes our involvement and how it differs from a regular day:

As we turn towards fall, another task for the Grounds department is helping with the club’s Halloween Harvest event. While this is an event that requires all departments to execute, the Grounds department manages the wagon rides and pumpkin patch portions of the activities.

Each year we host a large event for families centered on Halloween. There are many things for families to do including the wagon rides and pumpkin patch. Leading up to the occasion, we mow a trail out through the back field for the wagons to follow. This loop winds through some interesting terrain and fall colors.

We also mow a large area for our pumpkin patch. We purchase pumpkins and spread them throughout this open area. As part of the wagon ride, we stop at the pumpkin patch; everyone gets out, picks a pumpkin and then finishes the ride back to the clubhouse.

In addition to the mowing and prep work, Grounds staff employees are also the wagon drivers. We rent 2 hay wagons and use our tractors to pull them. The two tractors run pretty much non-stop for a few hours, giving everyone a chance to ride to the pumpkin patch.

One of the unique challenges at Bretton Woods is being able to handle different tasks that can be completely unrelated to turf maintenance. Driving wagons and setting up a pumpkin patch is just one of those instances. So, on the day of Halloween Harvest, the Grounds department’s day is not finished after the morning course setup.

Starting in November, we will reduce new posts to once per month. Thank you

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Fall fertilizer

Fall is a critical time of year for turfgrass. Some of the best root growth occurs in the fall as the plant prepares to survive the winter. To aid this physiological process as much as possible, we also fertilize almost all the cool season turf on the course at this time.

The top growth of the cool season turf has slowed dramatically now that we have had some seasonably cold weather. Mowing frequencies have decreased and clipping yield has dropped as well. However, this is not an indication that the plant has stopped growing. Under the soil, the plant is working hard to grow and develop its roots as much as possible, both to make up for lost ground during the summer, but also to prepare itself for the winter. This root enhancement takes a lot of energy.

To make sure the plant does not run out of energy for this critical process of root growth, now is the time we also provide another feeding to the plant. We fertilize nearly all the cool season turf: greens, surrounds, rough, and the soccer field. Since the temperatures are still warm, but not hot, and the soil temperatures are cool, but not cold, the plant will use most of the food right away. But the product we use also provides a steady stream of food for the plant over the next several weeks also, so that the plant has access to energy when it needs it.

Building strong roots now aids in winter survival, which is paramount. But another key to the fall fertilizer is that those strong roots built now will help give the plant a jump coming out of the cold in spring. Having plants that come out of winter strong helps them withstand the stress of summer and leads to healthy turf all season long.

 

 We will reduce down to one post per month starting in November. Thank you

 

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Yearly leaf and frost reminder

Now fall feels like it has officially arrived- we had our first sub-40-degree morning. This time of year brings with it two key issues: leaves and frost.

The changing leaves make this time of year the favorite of many. The weather is typically still comfortable, and it is perfect for outside activities. Another aspect of autumn is that leaves begin to fall. Leaf cleanup can be very time consuming and, especially when the wind blows, it can be frustrating also. We spend time cleaning a particular hole and five minutes later the wind blows a new round of leaves across everywhere and it looks as though we did nothing! Nevertheless, here are a few key points to remember about our leaf cleanup efforts:

• If it is frosty or wet, we may have to wait until later in the day or for another day entirely before we can resume cleanup. Similarly, if it is windy, trying to corral the leaves is nearly impossible. We may choose to skip trying to clean the playing surfaces until a calmer day. So, playing through leaves may happen.
• Blowers will be running for several hours or more each day. They cannot stop for every golfer that is within earshot or we would never finish. The same is true for the vacuum. Please be patient.
• We make piles for the vacuum in the most efficient places. For example, blowing a large amount of leaves the entire length of a hole does not make sense. We make piles where most of the leaves are already located. Sometimes this will be near the line of play and balls can easily be lost in the piles. Unfortunately, this is a fact of fall golf. We will make every attempt to keep our piles away from play as much as possible.
• Lastly, while leaf cleanup overwhelmingly dominates our course prep attention, we do have other tasks we are trying to accomplish. We must balance our efforts. So, there may be days where there are clearly leaves to be blown, but the Grounds staff is working on other things also.

The second scourge of fall is frost! There is not a single good aspect to frost or frost delays. However, just because no one likes frost, doesn’t mean we can keep it away.  Just like with leaves, there are a few key points that everyone must remember:

·         There will be more than one occasion where golfers may leave their house and have no frost, but we can easily have frost here at the course. Our temperatures can get colder than in town.

 

·         The coldest part of the morning is just before sunrise, so frost can set right at the last minute.

 

·         During the delay, all areas of the course are closed. While frost can form in some areas but not others, trying to direct people to frost or no frost areas would be too difficult. A frost delay equals a full closure. This means no mingling in the grass around the putting green or first tee.

 

·         Walking on frost can cause damage or death to the plant, but carts are especially destructive because they are heavier. We must consider the cart traffic that will occur on the course when managing a delay, which can sometimes add a small amount of time to the delay.

 

·         Lastly, after most frost delays, some form of course preparation must take place. Anything from a full setup to a minimum of changing cups and blowing leaves, takes time. Here is the tricky part: we can’t go do that setup until after the frost- the Grounds staff is delayed too. So, we must balance allowing the golfers out onto the course as soon as possible, while also leaving time for some work. Frost may be clear near the clubhouse as golfers wait, wondering why they aren’t allowed out yet, but it may be because we are getting our work done.

 

Some veteran fall golfers will undoubtedly be experts in dealing with these fall issues. But a reminder for all is helpful and we hope that it will help mitigate some of the inconvenience of dealing with the leaves and frost.

 

Also, we will reduce posts to once per month starting in November, through February.

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

Golf Cart tips

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

1st Spring Dead Spot application

As you read this, we are currently making our first Spring Dead Spot (SDS) chemical application. This is the most critical application we make all year on the Bermuda grass- and we won’t even know if it worked until April or May!

Research has shown that soil temperatures make the biggest impact on timing for this application. Temperatures must be below 70 degrees at least, and some of the most recent work shows that between 60-65 degrees is optimal. So, there is a general time of year- late September into October- when we typically make the application, but it is not a set calendar date.

This year’s applications are occurring slightly later than normal, partly to do with all the rain we had last week, but more importantly, because we had not reached the temperature threshold any earlier. We monitor our on-site temperatures with a soil thermometer every 3-5 days as we approach the historical application timing. There are also websites to check soil temperatures that we use. Putting all this information together and then marrying it to the weather and our golf schedule is the biggest challenge. Having the most important application of the season ready to be made, but juggling between rain, golf, and our regular maintenance can make it particularly stressful.

Last year, we also upgraded to the most highly recommended pesticides to treat SDS. For many years we used certain chemicals for two main reasons: 1. They were cheaper; with our acreage of Bermuda grass, a large volume of any material is needed and thus the price rises quickly. 2. There were very few, if any, other products that really provided any control for SDS. That has changed recently. Chemical companies have supplied several new chemistries that are providing much improved control for the fungus. The downside is that these new products come with a steeper price, however, after upgrading last year, the results were worth the price. This year, and going forward, we will stick with these newest materials because of the improvement in control provided.

The last key to a successful SDS program is water. The fungus lives in the thatch and soil- not in the plant. Any product we apply- the cheap or the expensive- is worthless if we do not water it down into the soil profile sufficiently. Recommendations are for at least 1/8” of water immediately after application. As we are driving the sprayer off the turf, the water is already started. It is very difficult to apply this much water through the irrigation system evenly, but the goal is to make sure the material does not remain at the surface.

Having healthy Bermuda grass in the summer relies very heavily on a strong Spring Dead Spot control program. We have made some changes in the last few years. Especially last year, we had great results from these changes, and we are continuing the process this year.

 

 

Starting in November, we will reduce new posts to once per month. Thank you

 

 

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Project preview

The end of September marks a great time of year: the weather usually has turned cooler, the leaves start to get fall colors, and the course is in good shape. This time of year also marks the start of our project season. Bunker renovations, drain work, and anything else we can’t do during the summer, gets underway now.

If you have played golf recently, then you noticed we got a jump start on bunker work this year. We are scheduled to work on 13 green, thru 16 this year. After many years of the same procedure, the Grounds staff are pros at breaking down a bunker, removing the trash sod, and laying new grass. #13 greenside bunkers are relatively small, and don’t need a lot of grass, so we were able to squeeze them into this window between the Match Play Championship and Men’s Member Guest. We are just awaiting dry weather to lay the new sod.

You may also see some dashed lines painted in certain areas across the course. These are marking new drain lines that we will install through the winter. We have been too wet to do most things on the golf course lately, but one thing the rain was good for, was to help identify the exact track that water likes to take in these particular drainage areas. While the ground was saturated, and even with standing water on the surface in some instances, we went out and painted exactly where the new drain line should run to maximize the water we capture.

All this work will take place in and around the leaf cleanup that will be starting soon. We also have regular maintenance that still takes place throughout the fall. But the projects are a welcome change, both because it is a different type of work than the sometimes monotonous summer work, but also because we make the biggest strides in improvement doing these projects.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be careful not to damage the lip of the cup when retrieving your ball after putting out.

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