Tee surface re-sodding

We hope you all like the changes that have taken place as a result of the Master Plan construction thus far. The changes are very exciting for the Grounds department as well. Bunkers that don’t puddle, rectangular, in-line tee boxes with more square footage, and Bermuda grass surfaces are all great improvements for our operation. One change that will happen over the next few weeks in conjunction with the Master Plan work is the converting of some previously reconstructed tees to Bermuda grass surfaces as well.

Holes 5-9 were reconstructed under previous Master Plan work and the tee tops were seeded to ryegrass. Ryegrass can be a great surface to play from on fairways, collars, or tees in the appropriate conditions with the appropriate amount of inputs necessary. We have a very strict budget and many acres to maintain at the facility and this does not suit the needs of ryegrass tees very well. The ryegrass does not tolerate the heat and humidity and once the plant begins to suffer, disease and death can quickly follow. Water and fungicides can alleviate some of the issues, but the time and money needed to baby the ryegrass through the summer sometimes outlasts our budget. The final problem with ryegrass is that it does not regenerate from healthy tissue and spread over thin areas as other grass species do. Ryegrass must be reseeded to establish new turf. Unfortunately, seeding in July and August is extremely difficult, especially on a high traffic area such as a tee. Because of these issues, new tees constructed under this year’s Master Plan work are being sodded to the same Bermuda grass variety as the fairways: Riviera.

To strive for consistency and sustainability, our staff will undertake the task of converting the tee complexes on holes 5-9 to Bermuda grass as well. To do this as economically as possible, we will be salvaging some Bermuda grass from the fairways slated to be reconstructed in this year’s Master Plan work. Ahead of construction, our staff will strip and remove any viable Bermuda grass sod prior to earth-moving and replace the ryegrass tee surfaces on holes 5-9 where possible.

In the coming weeks we will try and tackle several back tee boxes and some forward tee boxes while maintaining playability. Back tees that we convert to Bermuda grass will be removed from play for a short time and tee markers will be placed on the tee box immediately in front. Forward tees that we convert will also be closed for a short time and tee markers may either be placed in the fairway ahead of the tee box where feasible or placed at the front of the tee box immediately behind the forward tee.

We hope that with rounds down through the month of August and prime Bermuda grass growing weather, these re-sodded tee boxes will only be out of commission for a couple of weeks. The goal is to do as much of this process as possible with “free” Bermuda grass sod and to eventually complete the renovation of all the surfaces on these holes.

 

 See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Stepcut and fairway adjustments

Bermuda grass is a very strong and hardy turf grass. However, it does have weaknesses and sometimes the replacement with another type of grass is the best solution. This is the case with three specific spots on the golf course: the left side of #18 fairway about 150 yards off the tee near the big tree; left side of #1 fairway about 50 yards short of the green near the big tree; left side of #7 fairway about 80 yards short of the green near the big tree. We have completed work on the spot on #18 with both Bermuda and tall fescue sod. Work on #7 has Bermuda sod done while on #1 no Bermuda sod will be laid and tall fescue sod is pending.

#18



#18

All three of these spots have one thing in common: they are located near a big tree. Trees provide many great things to a golf course including aesthetics, protection from wayward shots, and cool shade on a hot day. But big trees also take away from the health of turf grass that grows near them. The roots of the tree take away the water and nutrients that the grass plant needs. The shade from the limbs takes away the sunlight that the turf grass plant needs. All grasses need water, nutrients, and sun; however some species are more adept at surviving when one or more is limited. Such is the case with tall fescue versus Bermuda grass. The Bermuda grass under the tree on #18 was very thin or non-existent because of the shade from the tree. To alleviate this problem we shifted the lines of turf species out away from the tree. Now, a new step-cut line has been sodded in Bermuda grass and what was previously Bermuda grass step-cut and fairway has been replaced with tall fescue. This pushes the Bermuda grass out from under the tree and gives it a better chance to survive. The tall fescue that is now under the tree is better adapted to deal with those conditions.

The same process is underway on #7 and #1 as well. On #7 we will be installing the tall fescue as soon as we can, but because we have easy access to the Bermuda grass sod at our nursery, that sod has been laid. On #1 we will let the existing Bermuda grass recover and grow and only lay tall fescue sod.

#1

 

When you are out playing you will notice these areas and it may seem like a very small change, but giving the Bermuda grass that small increase in distance from the drip line of the tree will help its chances of survival tremendously. This will improve the playability of fairway and step-cut turf on each of these holes.

#7

 

 

 

 

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Course setup changes

Over the last few months you may have noticed a few minor changes to setup around the course. Every superintendent is different and we all like to put our own little spin on the courses we maintain. We like to have control over as much as possible because our jobs require us to react to things over which we don’t have control, like the weather. Since we have been in a daily maintenance routine, tee marker setup, cup changing procedure and selecting pin locations have been slightly altered.

When a person plays the same course repeatedly it can become monotonous and mundane. Very little changes in how the course plays yardage and difficulty wise. In order to combat this feeling, we do a few different things during our course setup. First, tee markers have been moved to the full width of the tee boxes. This may seem like a minor change and many of you probably didn’t even notice the difference. However, by increasing the width of the tee setup, each particular hole can be attacked in several ways just from the tee box. With the added space, a player can now tee up far to either side and play a draw or fade accordingly, and thus gain the extra yardage right or left needed to truly make the shot. In different conditions each shot shape may be more beneficial than another and having the flexibility to choose allows for that hole to play a little different than it did the day before. The downside of having the tee markers at the full width of the tee box is that the divot area is increased. However, we believe that spacing the divots out will actually help them heal quicker because they are surrounded by more healthy turf than if all the divots are concentrated in a small area. This also leads into another minor change we have started. Because of the potential for increased divot area, we are moving the tee markers frequently. This, again, may not seem like a big change and the act of moving tee markers is not a change. Now we like to move them more drastically forward and back. This again makes the course play slightly different over time. When a par 3 hole played 180 yards from a specific tee color and then next time it played 150 yards a lot of thought must be given. As mentioned, now the member who plays all the time can no longer walk to a hole grab out the same club they ALWAYS grab and hit the same tee shot they ALWAYS hit. We have introduced some thought and variability.

Anyone who has been out early in the morning has probably seen the flags laying on the greens. This is not a problem. That is exactly where the flags are supposed to be. Another new aspect we have started is how we choose the location of the new pin placement. Now, instead of leaving the decision up to our staff, I place each flag exactly where I want it. This is valuable for several reasons. First, efficiency in cup changing is increased. No longer does the staff member who is changing cups have to walk around the green, find a spot, think about if it is fair or not, then change the cup. When he walks up to a green he goes directly to where the flag is laying and immediately starts to change the cup. I have already determined the validity of the location for him. Second, this also allows for more variability of the golf hole. By choosing the location myself, more challenging and interesting areas of the greens can be used. Most of our staff does not play golf regularly or often at all. While they are tremendous at their jobs, the intricacies of choosing pin placements is not their strength. Having someone who plays and understands golf more in-depth can allow for new, tougher, yet fair locations that otherwise may not have been used. Lastly, this process takes the responsibility of questionable pin placements away from the staff and puts it on the managers in the grounds department. The staff member who changes the cup does not need that burden. That burden should be placed on management. As management, we should be able to answer for all that is done on the course we maintain. This includes pin placements. If there is ever an issue with a pin location we can stand up and say “yes we chose that location and these are our reasons,” instead of saying, “well someone else put it there it’s not my fault.”

We are glad that our members enjoy playing Bretton Woods many, many times over the course of the season. We enjoy adding interesting twists to the course so that, though playing the same course continually, subtle changes allow for excitement each time.

 

 See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Maintenance equipment

We use a great deal of expensive and specialized equipment to maintain the golf course. It takes several hours of training and expertise to use these pieces properly and to produce the product that you see when you play. Below are just a few examples.

Triplex: This is the machine we use to do precise mowing. The cutting height on this machine can be set to many different heights. We use a triplex to mow greens and tees. Currently, the height for the greens mower is set under 1/8”. We also use our vertical mowing units, or verti-cutters, on the triplex machine. The vertical mowing units allow us to penetrate into the canopy of the turf and tear out thatch, which is comprised of dead leaf and stem tissue. Typically we set the verticut unit about 1/16” deeper than the height of cut.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roller: Our roller is an integral part of the maintenance of the greens. Having a lightweight roller allows us to roll more frequently without putting undue stress on the turf. The roller helps to smooth out the surface and make putts roll truer. Not only does the roller impact ball roll, but it is an agronomic benefit as well. By rolling instead of mowing, we allow the green’s turf to be that fraction of an inch taller which allows it to have more tissue and better stress resistance. This type of roller is especially convenient because it comes with its own transport system built in. The yellow bar acts as the hitch and when the bar is lifted the wheels on the side transport the machine. When the operator arrives at the green, he lifts the bar and the wheels rise up and the roller portion of the machine drops down to the ground and rolling can begin.

 

Fairway mower: Our fairway mower is a five gang unit that has a great balance between quality of cut and efficiency. Because it has five cutting units, one person can cut much more area than they would be able to in a smaller machine. We have roughly 30 acres of fairways to mow, so increasing efficiency in any way possible is a necessity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mechanical bunker rake: This machine again is a combination of effectiveness and efficiency. Having so many bunkers on the course makes it too labor intensive and time consuming to try and rake all by hand. With this machine one person can rake all the bunkers in about 4 hours.

 

Rough mower: This is one of the most critical pieces of machinery that is not related to the maintenance of the greens. This machine mows the rough, and here at Bretton Woods there is a lot of rough. This mower has three decks and has a cutting width of eight feet. Because of the large acreage of rough not only on the golf course but the entire grounds, we need a fast, maneuverable, and big machine. This mower fits all of those criteria. We have two of these units and when the turf is growing, one or both machines go out every day. In order to keep up we cannot miss a day. When we finish the rough on the golf course we head over to soccer/tennis then the front hill and the front field. Usually we can get everything cut in a week, weather dependent. By the time we finish it is time to start over again because the grass does not stop growing.

 

 

These are just a few of the many tools we use to maintain the turf on the property. Without the specific machine for each job, tasks would take more time, not be done as well, or be nearly impossible to complete altogether. The next time you see one of these pieces of equipment on the course you can think of how we are using it to make Bretton Woods better.

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org