Bermuda grass green up

It seems like the last several blogs have all started with a recap of how changeable the weather has been. And that changeable weather has played tricks on the Bermuda grass some more. Overall, the Bermuda grass is very healthy and will get its green color back, but last week’s cold night (26 degrees!) postponed any quick start to its growing season.

Breaking dormancy for any turf is a process that can’t be rushed. More importantly, it can’t really be controlled either. We have a few tactics that we employ, more so in the fall than in the spring, to help aid the Bermuda grass, but Mother Nature is in charge and we must adapt.

Watching the Bermuda grass green up each season can be fast and slow at the same time! Sometimes it feels like the fairways and tees will never be in mid-summer form when enduring spring days of 50-degree highs and mid 30’s overnight. Then suddenly, just like this year, we hit a few upper 70 or higher degree days and- boom- the Bermuda grass seems to fill in overnight. Recently, the USGA published a short time-lapse video of Bermuda grass greening up in spring in North Carolina and it helps to illustrate the process the turf goes through and that it is not always a linear process. You can watch the video here: https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/course-care/green-section-record/64/issue-07/spring-greenup--a-turfgrass-transformation.html

After watching the video, there were a couple of things that stood out to us. First, high traffic areas don’t green up nearly as fast as other spots. Especially areas just off greens where foot traffic concentrates walking on and off greens. There are a couple of areas that aren’t even fully green within the timeframe of the video, even in a considerably warmer climate than ours. This is very similar to several of our trouble spots- like 3, 14, and 15 approaches. While traffic isn’t the only issue, it is clear from this video that it is a significant factor.

A photo looking back down 10 fairway

The second key detail we noticed from the video relates to drainage, which we got a glimpse of from the rainstorms that occurred during the video. Areas where water puddled or was slower to drain or move off the surface are places where green up was slow again. In the video, some of the same areas that had concentrated wear were also slow to drain. This relates to compaction stemming from the increased traffic. We can draw similarities from the course in the video to Bretton Woods again relating to drainage. The same trouble areas in the approaches are areas where water has been slow to drain. Even if the area is sloped, the soil is poor enough that it becomes waterlogged and can’t dry down. This is especially bad during the winter months, when freezing temperatures can kill overly hydrated Bermuda grass.

Over the last several years, we have worked to install drainage in these specific locations- 3 approach was done a few years ago, 14 approach 2 years ago, and 15 approach was completed this past fall. Although the drains haven’t solved the issue- we still have repair work to do in all these areas- it has improved our chances of Bermuda grass survival. We have also started a deep aeration program aimed at these spots in particular using our vertical aerating machine  which will help open the soil down much deeper than regular aeration. The Verti-quake is literally a very slow machine- we must drive just under 1 mph- but it is also a slow process to change soil structure, so it doesn’t cure conditions overnight, but coupled with our compost program , we are on the right track. (Note- the blog post discussed the Shockwave, but we purchased an identical machine from a different manufacturer called the Verti-quake)

Although the Bermuda grass has a yellow hue right now, it won’t last all season. As daytime temperatures and soil temperatures climb up to their summer peaks, the turf will naturally regain its color. And we will be working alongside making sure we are helping in any way possible.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please keep carts on cart paths for the entirety of par 3 holes.

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

Upcoming compost application

Spring is progressing in a typical up and down fashion. Some way above normal temperatures last week, followed by closer to normal, and this week will start with a night below freezing. This can wreak havoc on the Bermuda grass. One of our core strategies to help the Bermuda grass deal with all this stress it faces is with compost. The spring application is next week.

Through the years we have bounced around to different suppliers of material, but the idea has stayed the same: improve the overall health of the soil, and therefore the health of the Bermuda grass. The Bermuda grass is out of its comfort zone in our area- shoulder seasons and winter are too cold, and the growing season is a little too short. So, the turf is always at a slight disadvantage. There are some main tools we employ to give the grass a fighting chance- our Spring Dead Spot applications, closely monitoring mowing heights in the fall and spring, and compost.

Compost focuses on soil health more than the other strategies we use for the Bermuda grass. It is very difficult to grow anything on poor soil, but especially fine turfgrass, and even more difficult if that turf is out of its element. Compost improves the soil in a variety of ways including: improving soil structure, water and nutrient holding capacity, increasing beneficial microorganisms, providing nutrients, and helping suppress pests. For us, the biggest benefits are from the improvement to soil structure and helping to suppress pests, specifically the fungus that causes Spring Dead Spot (SDS).

Good soil structure allows for good gas exchange, allowing oxygen down into the soil. In some areas on the course, we have very tight clay soils that are difficult for water to penetrate as well as roots. We aerate these areas regularly, and will continue to do so, but adding the compost also helps to increase the porosity. As the soil improves, the Bermuda grass can root better and thus be stronger through the season.

The compost also helps to suppress harmful pathogens in the soil by directly killing them, overcrowding them and reducing the population, or by secreting antagonistic compounds into the soil that irritate the harmful microorganisms. While we don’t know which combination of these is working for us, we do know that in concert with an improved pesticide program we have seen a tremendous reduction in SDS infections over time.

Overall, we have seen the Bermuda grass steadily get stronger and healthier each year, even after winters of varying severity. The compost is a big part of the program that has led to these improvements.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please keep carts on cart paths for the entirety of par 3 holes.

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

Pool work

The temperature swings of the Mid-Atlantic continue. Last week we had a morning that dropped to 27 degrees (and walloped the Bermuda grass) and this week we will have multiple days reach 90+. Despite those ups and downs, our recent labor has been spent at the pool facility. In no time, Memorial Day will be here, and the pool needs to be ready.

Even though we are well over a month away from opening the pool, because it isn’t touched all winter, there is a lot of cleanup to do. Over the winter leaves, sticks, and other debris accumulates. Before we can do anything else, all of that must be cleaned up first. The second step in our process, and main reason that we start weeks before opening day, is to replace several thousand square feet of sod that doesn’t survive the summer. This timing also works well with balancing labor between the golf course and pool. The pool work takes nearly our entire staff to accomplish, but we are still just early enough in the season to be able to send the manpower up to the pool and not allow anything to suffer on the course.

Between long stretches without rain, no irrigation, and tremendous amounts of pool patron traffic, some grass areas at the pool are decimated by the end of summer. So, each spring, we replace those specific areas with new sod. Removing the old sod and laying new sod doesn’t take too long, and we have our routine down pat, but we’ve learned over time that the earlier in the season we can lay the new grass, the better it survives the summer. Allowing the grass to establish a strong root system and acclimate to its new environment prepares the turf to better withstand the stress of summer. Early April fits in our schedule and is a good window for laying the sod at the pool, so it has been our program for several years now.

Our initial cleanup process is complete, and we will start laying new grass this week. This first shot of summer heat does not like it will last too long so the sod will be fine. We will finish the sod work quickly and be ready to focus back on the golf course as the Bermuda grass starts to kick into gear.

Maintaining the pool grounds is a good challenge, another piece of the large Bretton Woods campus that we manage. Timing the work correctly is key, and we have found that now is the best time to get this work done.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please keep carts on cart paths for the entirety of par 3 holes.

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

State of the Bermuda grass

It is time for the annual state of the Bermuda grass post. After a winter unlike any we have had in the last several years, it looks as though the Bermuda grass was able to survive relatively unscathed both from direct winter kill and Spring dead spot (SDS).

Despite some very warm days recently, it is still early in the green up process, and soil temperatures are still working to fully warm up, so there is still more information to gather. Once the soil stops the constant roller coaster up and down swings in temperatures that it has been going through, the Bermuda grass will get some consistent good growing conditions. However, so far, much of the Bermuda grass looks very healthy across tees and fairways.

However, we will not escape the winter completely unmarked. There do appear to be some areas just off the fronts of greens where the Bermuda grass is struggling from winter kill. Again, it is early, and we need some good warm overnight temperatures to really kick start the Bermuda grass, but these are some areas of concern that we will monitor closely.

Most of the areas are known trouble spots. There are a variety of factors that cause the Bermuda grass to decline repeatedly in these areas including: shade, physical orientation, saturation, poor drainage, poor soil, traffic, and more. Some of these causes we have addressed and will continue to work on, but others are out of our control- for example the Bermuda grass that is nearest #14 green is severely angled to the north and gets very little spring sunshine, and we can’t physically change how that grass is situated. We have more plans in place for this season to continue to improve all these areas, but it takes time and meanwhile the Bermuda grass continues to struggle.

In the short term, our next step is to be patient. Daytime temperatures, and especially overnight and soil temperatures will continue to rise, and the Bermuda grass will begin to grow more vigorously. After a prolonged stretch of beneficial growing conditions, we can then assess what areas will recover naturally and which areas need to be replaced. We expect to do some sod work and have started to gather some amendments to add into the soil so we are ready when it is time and the healing process can go as quickly as possible.

The trouble areas so far all seem to be from winter kill. But what there does not appear to be much if any damage from is Spring dead spot (SDS). We have been working diligently on our prevention program, and it is paying off tremendously. SDS is not a disease that you can eliminate, but we have reached a point where it is very much under control, and the turf is healthy enough to sustain any infections and come out of winter strongly. We won’t back off the things that have proven helpful in the last several years and we will continue to improve the turf health so that we can stay on top of the disease.

Growing Bermuda grass in our region is stretching the grass to its limits of winter hardiness. There will be some bumps and bruises each spring no matter what, especially coming out of an intense winter. So, making some repairs is expected and we will be ready when the time comes.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please keep carts on cart paths for the entirety of par 3 holes.

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

Roller oil leak

We have discussed the dangers of using equipment on fine turfgrass before, whether it be a hydraulic leak or a gas leak. Last week we had a transmission oil leak on several greens. We expect to make a full recovery, but it is currently unsightly and will be for some time still.

Our greens rolling machine was the culprit this time around. The leak happened on a rainy morning, which was both a blessing and a curse. The rain helped to wash the oil of the leaf tissue, which will help to minimize the damage. However, because it was a rainy, dreary day, the leak was very difficult to spot while it was happening. Often, when a leak occurs on a sunny day, the sun reflects sharply of the shiny, wet oil, and makes it much easier to spot, leading to a quick discovery and stopping the machine. But without the sun, the leak continued unnoticed for too long.

Looking closely, the back and forth
lines of the oil leak can be seen

Once the machine was back in the shop, our Equipment management team noticed the excessive oil on the machine during their routine inspection and were able to locate the issue. Inside of the transmission a bearing had worn out, causing the transmission shaft to wobble. More wear on the bearing caused more wobble of the shaft, until the bearing could no longer hold the shaft in place and the bearing broke, sending shards through the transmission and eventually breaking the oil seal. Once the seal was broken, oil began to leak out of the case and onto the green.

We hate it when these things occur, but unfortunately it is part of the maintenance of a golf course. We will continue to monitor the situation and make any repairs and adjustments necessary.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

When parking your cart at a tee or green, please keep all 4 tires on the path.

 

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