Insect repellant

Two things that can be counted on year after year: the humidity and the gnats! The humidity can be stifling, both to golfers and the turf. Just like applying chemicals to the turf grass to help it cope with the humidity, people apply insect repellant to help deal with the insects.

It doesn’t matter whether you play in the early morning, mid-day, or evening, the bugs are out in force. Gnats, mosquitoes, and any other buzzing, biting insect that can be troublesome are usually repelled well by the use of bug repellants. There are many different choices on the market today between brands and application types. For example, one can use a spray, a cream, or a wipe to apply the same protection.

While the mosquito repellant is an effective safeguard against the attack of the insects and is safe for people, the chemicals in the spray are actually harmful to turf grass. Greens, tees, and fairways are especially vulnerable to the effects of the repellant and damage can range from turning the grass a straw brown color all the way to death. Golfers unknowingly apply the spray to themselves while standing on one of these surfaces and the overspray lands on the turf. The most common cause of the spray contacting the turf is when the repellant is applied to one’s legs. When leaning down to spray, especially around the ankles and trying to get thorough coverage, the mist gets on the turf grass. The tell-tale sign is brown turf with foot-print shaped areas of healthy grass. One good thing to remember is that the taller the grass, the less effect the spray will have. The best place to stand would be on a cart path or other hard surface.  If you have to apply while on turf, the best place is in the rough because the longer grass has a much better chance of metabolizing the chemicals and surviving.

We understand the need for bug spray; even some of the grounds staff uses it as well. We ask that before you apply, please move to taller grass or to a hard surface such as a cart path. A small thing like this can make a big difference in the appearance of the course. Thank you.

 

 See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Green speed and the Stimpmeter

The Stroke Play Championship was this past weekend and everyone wanted the greens to be firm and fast for the event. Everyone enjoys firm and fast greens that are within a reasonable speed. Making greens too fast can make for a frustrating round for many golfers and in the heat of the summer can lead to thin and possibly dead turf. There is a delicate balance that must be achieved.

For the tournament, green speeds were gradually raised throughout the week. To do this we used both mowing and rolling to our advantage. We also very carefully managed the water that the greens received. This is a tournament setup and maintenance routine, not a daily routine. It is important to understand the difference. Daily setup has to take in to account the stress of summer and other golfer ability levels. If too fast of green speeds are maintained daily, turf loss is especially likely and the enjoyment for the majority of golfers is lessened.

To check the speed of the greens we use a tool called a Stimpmeter. The Stimpmeter is a simple tool made of metal three feet in length with a dimple at one end in which a golf ball can rest. On a green, the ball is placed in the dimple; the Stimpmeter is slowly raised until gravity causes the ball to roll down the length of the shaft and onto the green. By measuring from where the ball started on the green to where it ended, a number in feet is determined. A second ball is rolled and must come within six inches of the first for the measurement to be used. Then two balls are also rolled back from where the initial roll ended to where the initial roll started. Again, the two attempts must be within six inches of one another to be accurate. The two final measurements are added together and averaged to give a green speed reading.

Now that the measurement has been made, we must make sense of the number. Ten to ten and a half feet is a very suitable speed for most golfers and for maintaining turf on greens through the heat of summer. The useful aspect of this number for us is to try and make every green on the course the same speed. This ensures that each green is consistent throughout the course. By measuring multiple greens, we can make maintenance adjustments to increase or decrease a certain green’s speed to make it putt similar to the rest.

The unwanted aspect of the green speed number is when it is used to compare one course to another. Simply saying “course X has greens that roll twelve feet. Why don’t ours?” is taking in to account only one small aspect of all the agronomic decisions that are being made. Turf type, weather, location, soil, membership, undulations on greens, and many other factors influence daily green speeds. Measuring green speed is an objective measurement but not translatable from course to course. One must be careful not to rely too heavily on this Stimpmeter number. The smoothness of the ball roll and fairness of the greens are far more important to the playability of the course.

The tournament went well this weekend and the greens held their own. As we continue into summer we will make adjustments to keep the greens as healthy as possible and to keep the green speeds consistent across the course.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Turfbreeze fan

Happy Father’s Day! The weather has been anything but typical for the middle of June. The rain continues, the humidity is high, and the sun has only made a few appearances. To combat both the wet start to summer and sticky overnight temperatures, we recently purchased a large fan that you may have already seen out or will see soon.

The idea behind the fan is to create air movement in areas where trees block most of the wind or on greens that do not drain well. By positioning the fan correctly and blowing across the green we can either keep the humidity from suffocating the turf or to encourage excess water on the surface to evaporate.  

Because fungi that cause turf grass disease prefer warm, moist conditions, anything that can help to minimize those factors is beneficial. The moving air blowing across the green slowly wicks moisture out of the soil. Most turf grass pathogens are always present in the soil profile. The fungi are simply waiting for optimal conditions to reproduce and infect their desired host plant. If we can reduce the window for development of the pathogen then we can lower the risk of infection.

The turf plant also needs to cool itself when the temperatures rise. Humid air has high moisture content. When this humid air sits over the turf grass plant, the plant can’t cool itself because the air has no capacity to accept the evaporating moisture from the plant. Again, the excess moisture of humid air surrounding the plant is beneficial to disease development. Just as critical though is the fact that the plant cannot cool itself when the moisture it transpires does not evaporate. A plant that cannot cool itself is at high risk for disease and death. The wind created by the fan allows the moisture that the plant is transpiring to be wicked away.

The removal of moisture from the soil of the green also serves to improve playability. Soft, wet greens are slow and not nearly as good to putt on as firm greens. Also, some greens hold water differently than other greens depending on soil characteristics and slopes. If several greens are appreciably wetter and softer than the rest on the course than the consistency throughout a round is reduced. The fan speeds the process of getting the green back to fast and firm which is preferred by most players. The other great feature of this fan is that it is mounted on a trailer and portable. So if there were three greens that needed to be dried out then we could move the fan from one green to the next.

Over the course of the summer you will see the fan around some greens. Luckily, the fan is not too loud and you will only have to put up with the noise for a few minutes. Just remember the reasons that fan is out there and the benefits for the turf and for the golfers.

 

 See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Etiquette

Since the earliest history of golf, the game has been about fairness, honesty, and sportsmanship. The game is played alongside fellow competitors but more importantly played against the course. Raking the bunker behind oneself, fixing ball marks, and replacing divots are all things that each player can do to make the course enjoyable for everyone to follow and allow each person to play against a fair course.

The technology and style of golf nowadays is nothing like years past. Everyone hits the ball farther, courses are longer and harder, and design concepts have changed as well. However, there are some things that have not changed. No matter how long the course is or how far a person hits the ball, eventually they will take a shot at the green. When a person hits a green with their shot on the fly the ball will produce a ball mark or pitch mark. This mark is the “crater” that the ball creates when it impacts the green. There are several reasons it is important to fix the mark. First, the pitch mark will impact how well the ball rolls on the green. Because the pitch mark makes a dent in the green the surface becomes uneven. Any person following who may putt through that line will be negatively affected by an unfixed ball mark because the ball will not roll smoothly. Second, when the green is mowed next, the mower will gouge into the raised portion of the ball mark rather than gliding across it, causing damage to the green. That unfixed ball mark will now look unsightly and take several weeks to heal properly. Fixing the ball mark only takes a few seconds but can make a huge difference.

Another good habit for every golfer is raking the bunker following a shot. The first person to play out of a bunker each day has a well raked bunker that hasn’t been used by anyone. That first person has the responsibility to leave that bunker as near as to how they found it as possible. By raking the bunker carefully, the first golfer ensures that the next person who hits in that bunker will not be penalized by the bunker AND any footprints that still remain. Raking the bunker behind you also is a benefit to the Grounds Department. If no one raked the bunker, eventually the sand would be so displaced and such a hole created that the work to fix that bunker would be greatly increased.

Replacing and filling divots is another small thing that golfers can do that benefits fellow golfers as well as the Grounds Department. The divot is the chunk of turf and soil that is taken out by the golf club when a shot is taken from a tee or fairway. When the divot is taken in the fairway it is best to retrieve the divot and fit it back into the space from which it came. Replacing the divot makes a better playing surface for the next golfer. If the divot is not replaced and the next golfer hits his or her shot into the void from a divot then their next shot must be played from a horrible lie. In contrast, the replaced divot may not be exactly the same as undisturbed fairway, but it is much better than a hole. Replacing the divot also saves the machines that mow the fairways. The cutting portion of the mower is designed to cut grass not soil. So when divots are not replaced the mower cuts through the soil attached to the turf and the mower becomes dull very quickly. This adds labor time and money to the maintenance of the machine but it also affects how well the fairways are cut. The playability of a poorly cut fairway is not nearly as good as it should be. Divots can also be taken from tee boxes as well. Tee divots are not as commonly replaced as they are filled with sand that is provided at the tee box. Most commonly tee divots are taken on par three or short par four holes. On the par three holes there is a green container of sand. This sand is used to put into the void from the divot instead of putting the actual piece of turf back. Sometimes, fairway divots shred into tiny pieces that are not able to be replaced and sand is used in that case as well. One important thing golfers need to remember when filling the divot with sand either on a tee or in the fairway is to make sure and smooth the sand down. Leaving a pile of sand is no different than not replacing the divot in the fairway; the mower will grind right through the sand and dull the blades.

Once these tasks become routine for all the golfers on the course, all players will have a level playing field.  Each player should strive to leave the course better than you found which will make the experience for everyone that follows that much more enjoyable.

 

 See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Needle-tine aeration

Needle-tine aerating is a practice that is fast and very beneficial for the greens. Over the next several weeks the plan is to aerate the whole course 2-3 times, depending on weather.

The first thing that pops into your head is: “What? More aerating? Won’t that disrupt play and make the greens terrible to putt on?” Luckily, the answer is no. Needle-tine aerating is just as it sounds: a solid, needle-like tine is used to punch holes in the greens. The hole is no more than a quarter of an inch in diameter and about two and a half inches deep. No material is removed so the process is very clean. Also, needle-tine aerating the greens is virtually undetectable in terms of surface disruption. Furthermore, once the green is aerated, we will roll and any slim sign of the aeration will completely disappear. This is also a fast process. By scheduling the work for a Monday morning and starting early, there will be little evidence that we were even there.

While the benefits to the golfer are measured in terms of lack of disruption, the benefit to the turf grass is enormous. As the spring comes to an end and summer begins, the plants begin to slow their growth and the stresses of heat, drought, and traffic begin to show. Thatch builds up just below the surface and water and air fight for pore space in the soil profile. Needle-tining can either directly or indirectly help to alleviate all of these problems. First, the hole that is created allows oxygen to get into the soil profile and helps the plant to breathe. By adding oxygen, water is then also decreased in the soil and the green becomes more firm. Roots will also begin to grow down these new openings, following the oxygen, and creating more root mass. More root mass is directly related to how well the plant can handle heat stress. The plant takes water in through its roots, so the more roots then the more surface area to contact and take in water.  Another benefit of the increased oxygen is for the microbes that are present in the soil. These microbes feed on the thatch in the soil and the oxygen is their driving force. These microbes do work for us by degrading the old plant material and releasing nutrients to the plant. A green lower in thatch content is firmer, faster, and healthier.

Although decreasing water in the soil profile and adding oxygen is a benefit. Another benefit of the needle-tine process is allowing water that is at the surface to move into and through the soil profile. Through regular maintenance and traffic, the surface of the green can become sealed and water and oxygen exchange cannot readily occur. By aerating through this seal the air can get into the soil. But water can also enter the system much easier. Water that sits at the surface can suffocate the grass. So, instead of the water sitting at the top, the aeration holes give channels for the water to move into the soil more easily.  The picture below shows on the left side the aerator holes versus the right side which has not been aerated yet.

Once the benefits of this process are examined, the word “aeration” does not seem so bad. Improving stress tolerance and water movement are crucial to the survival of the greens in summer. When we are finished, the greens will be stronger going into the heart of the most stressful period.

 

 

 See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org