Sonic Solutions

For the Grounds department, trying to improve Bretton Woods while minimizing our environmental impact at the same time is a difficult balance. Sometimes these two philosophies clash and sometimes they mesh perfectly. Recently, we purchased a second Sonic Solutions algae control device for the pond on #2 which will dramatically improve the algae control in the pond and is also very good for the environment.

There are several reasons to keep algae at bay in the ponds on the golf course. First, an algae covered pond is not aesthetically pleasing. Many of you may remember the way the pond on #2 looked last year; almost entirely covered with algae, stale, and not pretty to look at. The algae in this pond were especially difficult to manage also because of the shallow depth of the water and lack of flow in the pond. Secondly, stagnant water can be a breeding ground for insects and often times produce a foul odor. The algae can make a mat on the surface of the water and make the water seem thicker and more immobile. Thirdly, when algal blooms are large, they can reduce the amount of sunlight reaching the pond floor. This can reduce the amount of food and oxygen available in the water, which in turn, can disrupt the normal ecology of the site. Lastly, algae can produce toxins that can be harmful to other wildlife, pets, and possibly humans.

The Sonic Solutions device works by emitting the exact ultrasonic wavelength that disrupts the cellular structure of algae:  The device hits the “harmonic frequency of the gas vesicles (vacuoles) inside the blue/green algal cell and pops them. This causes the algal cell to sink to the bottom of the body of water. There, out of the direct sunlight, it cannot photosynthesize and it begins to starve and become weak. The bacteria at the bottom of the body of water then consume the blue/green algal cells.” In doing this, the device can remove existing algae growth in a pond and help to prevent more growth from occurring. Several years ago a Sonic Solutions device was purchased for the pond between #1 and #10. Seeing the results that were produced by the first unit made purchasing another machine for the pond on #2 a very easy decision.

The Sonic Solutions device can be powered by either electricity or solar panels at the site. We have solar panels powering the device at the pond on #10. However, we had existing power at the pond on #2 to use so we did not need the solar panels. Although the solar panels are the most efficient, the unit only uses about 10 watts of power a day. So, with power already supplied to the site on #2, spending a significant amount of money for the solar panels was not necessary.

One of the most significant reasons that the Sonic Solutions device is worth the investment is because it eliminates the need for chemical treatment of algae in both ponds. Although we are very judicious with our chemical use on the entire golf course, including the ponds, chemicals are at times needed. With this improvement, however, we do not need to treat either the pond on #2 or #10 with any chemicals, which reduces our pond chemical treatments by about one quarter.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Bermudagrass update

It seems as though spring is finally here and established. We still have the occasional temperature swings that one must become accustomed to living in the Mid-Atlantic, but overall it has steadily warmed up. So far this spring the rough has really greened up nicely. The greens have slowly healed from aeration because of the heavy growth regulation we subject them to in order to control seed head production. So, with rough and greens starting off well, everyone’s focus turns to: “When will the Bermuda grass turn green?”

This is the topic on everyone’s mind. Although it has seemed relatively cool and wet, the Bermuda grass is actually off to a great start. While it is always hard to pinpoint one thing that especially helps or does not help the Bermuda grass survive the winter, the drainage in the newly constructed holes has played a major role.  Without the large areas of standing water, the turf was not susceptible to freezing which can cause cells within the plant to rupture. This alone has probably made the biggest difference.

We also believe there has been some benefit from the organic material we put down last fall. First, this material is still near the surface of the soil. As the sun shines on the organic material it warms quickly and thus warms the soil around it. Warm soil temperatures are one of the keys for Bermuda grass to break dormancy. Secondly, this organic material is slowly releasing nutrients as it breaks down in the soil. This slow feeding is exactly what the Bermuda grass needs. Since each plant comes out of dormancy at a different time, a slow, steady, constant source of food is available for a longer period of time. This enables plants at different stages of emerging to all have access. We believe that the benefits from this organic material has helped set up the Bermuda grass to heal nicely from the winter.

Spring dead spot patches are visible on the fairways again this year. This is not a disease that anyone has been able to eradicate. This disease is one in which the goals are to manage, lessen the severity, and promote quick healing of damaged areas. We have made progress towards these goals this year. There are certainly some areas more affected than others, but in general our spring dead spot patches seem to have slightly more live tissue within the borders than last year. And again, the Bermuda grass seems to be off to a hot start this spring. If the plant is able to start healing and moving laterally now, the spring dead spot patches will be filled in and unnoticeable more quickly.

For some perspective, we were able to take a picture April 19^th 2015 from nearly the exact same spot as a picture taken April 19^th 2014. As you can see, the progress of the Bermuda grass this year is far greater than last year. Not only is there more green tissue overall, but you can see that some of the spring dead spot patches are in similar locations as last year, but with more healthy grass within. Weather permitting, if we can continue on this track, we could be looking at entirely green fairways before you know it.

#10 fairway looking back towards tee. April 19th, 2014

#10 fairway looking back towards tee. April 19th, 2015

  

Each year we try to lessen the spring dead spot infections. We record where the worst areas are and specifically focus on treating those places. Starting last fall we began our attack on the pathogen that causes spring dead spot and so far this year it seems we have at least held our own. Keep your eye on the Bermuda grass and it will fill in right in front of you.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Native areas

Native or natural areas can be seen at many different golf courses and come in many different styles. These areas are positive for many reasons: wildlife habitat, beauty, reduced mowing for maintenance, and more. However, there is a difference between low-maintenance and no maintenance. In the past, the native areas at Bretton Woods have been closer to no maintenance than low-maintenance. This year we plan to slightly increase the time spent on these parts of the course and try to improve their look.

The native areas on the course can be seen form nearly every hole. They are out of the way areas that do not come in to normal play and have been designated as minimal maintenance locations. Native areas consist of grasses, shrubs and other plants that are native to the location. Most often, these areas are not specifically planted with any certain species, although they can be.

Golfers, the Grounds department, as well as the wildlife on the course all benefit from these natural areas. Well-maintained natural areas can add an entirely different dimension to a course’s beauty and style. There is a nice contrast between the low grasses and shrubs and the taller majestic trees when mixed throughout the course. This contrast provides different visual site lines for golfers and can break up the monotony of one solid tree-lined hole after another.

The Grounds department saves time and money by limiting the amount of time managing these spots. Because the playable rough around the course has to be mowed 2-3 times per week throughout the season, reducing the acreage of that rough can immediately impact the speed at which the entire task is completed. As we have pointed out many times, saving time in one job area directly relates to starting another job sooner. Our productivity is increased. Not only do we save time from mowing, which equals money saved, but we also save in fertilizer cost for those areas, which also equals money saved. Time and money saved is not lost, but shifted to another area of need, thus improving another aspect of the course and grounds.

Tall grasses and shrubs also provide habitat and protection for many animals. As we work towards our Audubon Certification, these native areas will be a key component to our completion. While some animals may have been displaced by the playable surfaces of the golf course, by showing that we have provided somewhere for those animals to go means that we have not completely relocated those species. The conscious effort to balance our impact on the environment, with the desire to have a golf course is a basic idea of the Audubon Golf Course Certification.

These native areas are minimal maintenance areas. For the grounds department this means we only mow these areas twice per year with a bush hog; they do not receive any other normal mowing. We also do not fertilize these spots; they grow only from what is provided naturally in the soil. We have not tried to control what plants actually grow in these native areas either. Whatever species of plants were able to establish themselves there were left alone and a natural progression took place over time. However, now, invasive weed species have begun to dominate. Because of these invasive plants, we have decided this year to start increasing the maintenance slightly. Our plan is to begin control of these species in the spring while they are young and vulnerable, so that as the desired species mature, there will be less competition from the invasive weeds. We will not be doing a major renovation of these areas and completely removing unwanted plants. Instead we will be taking a slower, more natural approach. By slowly shifting the power to the desired plants, over time, the weeds will become less able to dominate.

Although the slower approach may lead to changes being slightly harder to detect, a major overhaul would dump too much money and resources into areas that were specifically designed to be minimal input. We want to make improvements by nudging some natural changes to the native areas, not by going against the concept of what these areas are supposed to be.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Collar width adjustment

We are constantly striving to provide quality playing surfaces throughout the course. While the rough around the greens is not supposed to be as pure and easy to play from as the fairway or collar height turf, it should still be a consistent surface. In an effort to continue in that direction, this year we will be making the width of the collar smaller.

In the next few weeks you will see paint marks denoting a new line for our mowers to follow when mowing the collars. We have a specific mower used solely for collars that has a 26” cutting width. We will be making the collars one pass with this mower. The old, extra collar that remains outside this one pass will be allowed to grow to rough height. Because the collar turf is healthy and performs well, as it is allowed to grow taller it will turn into healthy rough. This is a big step in helping to alleviate some of the bare patches of rough that surround the greens. Now, we will be taking advantage of the quality of collar turf and making it serve a different purpose for us.

A second, nearly as important aspect of this transition will be time saved. At Bretton Woods there are many tasks to be accomplished, between golf course maintenance and overall grounds maintenance. If we can save time in one area, it allows for another job to be completed. In the past, the collars were at least 2 passes around with the mower, sometimes a third partial pass was needed in some areas due to inconsistent widths. By taking away the extra passes we can now shave time off the entire job. For example, if we save 1 minute per green, that is 20 minutes across the entire course. With 20 extra minutes in our pocket we can get started into the next task that much sooner. This will be an indirect benefit to the golfers also.

For a while, this change may seem insignificant. It will take some time for the final result to be exactly as we would like. However, once the extra collar begins to mature into rough, the playability around the greens will improve for golfers. The time saved for the Grounds department will be more immediate and important. Once a routine is established, both Grounds and golfers will be pleased.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org