Construction preview-review

Master Plan construction is two weeks away. This is an even busier time for the grounds staff. While we do not perform the labor of the construction, we do help out with anything we can to make the work go smoother. We handle all of the irrigation work to keep costs down. Our key point happens once the earth moving has finished and sod has been laid; we must keep it all alive and healthy and thriving through the rest of summer, all while maintaining the rest of the course. While it is a difficult time for the Grounds staff as well as a disruption to member play, the benefits are great.

Standing water in 15 fairway just after storm.

Looking back at last year’s work, it is easy to second guess many decisions. The placement of tees, the angles of bunker faces, shapes of the holes, or the quality of turf that came out of winter are all easy targets for criticism. We are not happy with sod on the reconstructed holes either, and the other points can be debated both ways; however, one cannot argue that the main reasons driving the renovations were important and accomplished perfectly.

Water remaining in 15 fairway 3 days after storm prior to construction

Especially on the lower holes, 3, 4, 14, 15, 16, 17, water would not drain for several days following a storm. It caused more turf to die than anything that has happened to the sod. It also caused carts to not be allowed of cart paths more frequently than many would have liked. Adding drainage to help remove this excess water was a central component of last year’s work. We received over 3” of rain recently from the morning of 6/27, through the day, and overnight into the 28^th. Prior to construction that water would have remained on the lower holes for days. 

But since the drainage has been added, the volume of water in a short period of time caused the drains to move slow, but all the water was gone in a matter of hours. This allows the turf to breathe and allows us to let carts off paths sooner.

15 Fairway less than 24 hours after storm.

15 Fairway less than 24 hours after storm.

A second major part to the Master Plan is rebuilding and draining the bunkers. Contaminated sand locks up tight and does not allow water to move through. Clogged or broken drain lines within the old bunkers are useless. By removing the old sand and replacing it with fresh, non-contaminated sand and by creating new drains, the bunkers now do not hold water. This is a huge time and labor saver for the grounds department. Pumping and shoveling bunkers can be a 3-5 day long process depending on the severity of damage. By reducing and eventually eliminating the need to pump, we can trim that time down to 1-3 days depending on severity. This helps us keep up on the remaining tasks that come with a storm: tree cleanup, leaf and stick cleanup, as well as other regular maintenance.

Bunker not yet rebuilt. Puddle still remains 24 hours after storm.

Rebuilt bunker. Edges wash out from volume of water, but no puddle present.

View of bunker following work by Grounds staff to push sand back to edges

While everyone has their own opinion regarding improvements and changes to the course, no one can argue that improved fairway and bunker drainage has been anything but helpful. It is easy to see how these changes have had an immediate impact on the course.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Fairway over-growth

The Grounds department sees the course all day, every day. We know the reasons behind our decisions and we also learn what we can and cannot do to the turf. However, for the golfer, all that is seen is the final product. Without knowing what the thought process was regarding a decision or maintenance practice, if the product is not what one expects, it can be frustrating. Recently, this scenario took place regarding the fairways.

First, we do not want any of this to sound like excuses. Rather, this is a direct representation of the thought process made by the Grounds department and the resulting effects those decisions had on the care of the course and especially the fairways. We keep extensive notes on weather, tasks, and any other pertinent information on a daily basis. The time-frame in question was roughly 6/1-6/14 and the biggest concern was that the fairways seemingly hadn’t been cut in far too long.

We regularly use growth regulator on the fairways to slow the growth that occurs. This does not stop the growth completely though, it allows us to mow 2-3 times per week versus 4-5 times per week. We made a growth regulator application on 5/29. The front 9 fairways were mowed on 6/1, with the intention of mowing the back 9 the next day. However, we received 2.25" of rain overnight from the 1st to the 2nd and the fairways were too wet to mow. In addition, the storm caused several trees to fall, along with many sticks and branches, and all of the bunkers were washed out. As a result we spent that week repairing the course and making it playable. In our opinion, shoveling bunkers, blowing debris, and cleaning up sticks and branches was more important for overall course playability. Rain continued to fall all week and by 6/6 we were at 3" total since 6/1. Due to the wet turf and many cleanup tasks we were not able to mow the fairways that week. By 6/8 we were able to mow all of the fairways. We also verticut 7-12 fairways which stood the grass up and made it seem even taller. This mowing did not provide the best cut because it had been so long since the previous cut. We mowed the back 9 fairways on 6/11 and the front 9 fairways 6/12. The next growth regulator application was made 6/14.

Going forward, weather permitting, we do not expect the conditions to resemble those which you saw the past couple of weeks. Our plan is to mow half of the fairways each on Monday and Tuesday as well as half each on Thursday and Friday. We try to disrupt play as little as possible and mowing fairways is very disruptive. Also, mowing fairways is very time consuming so mowing inevitably results in mowers and golfers disturbing one another. For example, with the addition of more fairway on #3, that hole now takes an hour and a half to mow. Even starting well ahead of the first tee time, trying to mow that fairway ahead of play, golfers would catch the machine very quickly. Once play has caught the mower, it is very inefficient to continue. By splitting the fairways in half, we can more effectively mow without interruption. Also, by halving the fairways, we can use only one staff member instead of two and that person is only tied up on that task for half a day rather than two people mowing all day.

We are always trying to find better, more efficient ways of completing our tasks. Recently, breaking the tasks of mowing fairways in two is another change we have made. Sometimes Mother Nature interferes and our new practice is disrupted. However, we feel that this is a positive change that, when uninterrupted, will provide more than adequate conditions.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Bunkers, ballmarks, and carts

The Grounds department maintains the turf all around the Bretton Woods property. We focus our time on the golf course because it requires the most attention. Providing the turf with the elements it needs to survive, along with providing conditions that golfers need to enjoy their round is our focus. Golfers influence playability as well, and providing good conditions so the next golfer can enjoy their round is crucial. Unrepaired, or poorly repaired ball marks, carts in improper places wearing turf thin, and unraked bunkers are all in the control of the players.

Our department rakes bunkers in the morning and prepares them for play, but we cannot continuously rake bunkers all day. It is the responsibility of the last person in a bunker to rake it as they leave. Too many times we notice a bunker from which a golfer played has been only partially raked or not raked at all. This is frustrating because it reflects on our department, seeming as though we did not prep the bunker for the day. Likewise, the next player in that particular bunker may have to play from the footprints of the previous player.

Ballmarks are a fact of the game. As shots hit the putting surface, a pitch mark will result. However, fixing those pitch marks does not occur as often as the marks are made. Putting across an unrepaired pitch mark is difficult to almost impossible. Knowing whether your putt will keep its line is a guessing game. Finding and repairing your ballmark is only half of the equation. Fixing the ballmark correctly is the second half of the equation. Simply lifting turf and soil straight up until it is smooth may provide a smooth surface to putt over, but that ballmark will not heal correctly. The spot will be unsightly for a week at least. Here is a link to the recommendation from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America on how to fix a ballmark: Ballmark repair.

Unhealed ballmark after 12 days

Initial, unfixed ballmark

Ballmark after 5 days

Incorrectly fixed ballmark after 5 days.
Notice the center is only soil now.

Initial, incorrectly repaired ballmark. Center of mark lifted and smoothed.

Golf carts are very destructive to turf grass. Whether the cart is driven through an area that is too wet or driven in the same place repeatedly, carts damage turf. We use signs, stakes, posts, and rope to help direct and manage cart traffic. Generally, carts remain where they are supposed to: in the fairways and rough, and away from tees and greens. However, continuously cutting corners, parking with two wheels off the cart path, or driving where other traffic is highly concentrated are all bad habits. The green posts with white tops and directional signs are there to guide traffic flow. Once you are past these posts, stay on the cart path while finishing that hole, as well as through to the next tee. There are a couple of reasons carts are kept away from greens and tees. First, as mentioned, the carts are damaging to grass. Since the highest priority surface on the golf course is the putting greens, keeping carts a fair distance away is warranted. Keeping the turf looking and playing its best near the greens is paramount. Secondly, nearly every person that plays the course walks off the green towards the next tee in the same place and walks on to the tee in the same place. Driving any golf carts in these areas immediately increases the likelihood of damage. The turf does wear down from constant traffic even when it is only foot traffic. Combine that volume of wear with even one or two carts and the grass is pushed over the edge and begins to decline.

Often times, golfers think it is better for them to pull their cart off the path in case someone else needs to pass. However, this is actually not preferred. A passing cart can easily drive off the path to go around a parked cart; this is a quick, infrequent necessity. Yet, if every golf cart pulls off the path near the green in roughly the same place, then the wear on that edge of the path will kill the grass due to the frequency of the traffic. Lastly, it seems as though people want to gain some advantage by parking a little closer to the tee or green, saving one step if they can. But again, if every person in a cart chooses to save that same one step, the grass suffers as a result.

The Grounds department works diligently to keep conditions at their peak. If every golfer pitches in as well, conditions stay at their finest and playability for each passing golfer remains optimal.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Venting and verticutting

While we are still a couple of weeks shy of the summer solstice, the temperatures have been warm. Warm temperatures bring a certain tug-of-war for the Grounds department. Greens, tees, and rough, which are cool season turf, can be very stressed during periods of warm weather. The Bermuda grass, however, couldn’t be happier. With this in mind, last week we started our summer maintenance practices of verticutting the Bermuda grass and venting the greens.

Venting, or using needle-tines on the greens, opens the surface for better water and oxygen exchange between the atmosphere and the soil. The tines that we use are ¼” thick, thus producing a very small hole in the green. For more in-depth information regarding the use of needle-tines on greens, read the post on this topic from last June, which can be found here: "Needle-tine aeration". Generally, though, this is a very important cultural practice to perform for stress relief of cool season turf during the warm months.

This small hole is a win-win for us and the golfers. Playability is virtually unchanged after venting a green; however, the effects of the hole in the surface can last for several weeks. So the turf grass benefits from venting, and putting is unaffected. While the process and results are unchanged from last year to this year, our strategy of completing the aeration has changed. Last year, we hoped to be able to complete the entire course in a day. We were wrong. This year, instead of trying to complete all the greens in one day, working through lunch, working around golfers, and still not finishing, we have decided to break the greens into smaller groups and complete a group of greens each week. The groups will rotate every week so over the course of a month every green will be aerated once, just as it was last year by finishing every green in one day at the beginning of the month. However, with the group system, we will finish our 6-7 greens for that week by roughly 10am. This has far less of an impact on play and leaves time for staff members performing the aeration to complete other tasks for the remainder of the day. We are hoping that breaking the task into smaller pieces will be a more effective use of our time, as well as a smaller disruption to golfers.

While we are performing aeration on the greens to help the handle them stress of summer, the opposite is true for the Bermuda grass. As the temperature climbs, the Bermuda grass kicks into gear. The plant begins to grow at its fastest pace. As a result, it is at this time that we begin to verticut the Bermuda grass to remove thatch and slice the stolons of the plant to encourage more growth.  Check out the post from May of this year for a quick refresher on the verticut process and benefits, which can be seen here: "Fairway work". In addition to the fairways, when we verticut Bermuda grass, we also include the Bermuda grass approaches like #4, Bermuda grass tees, and the Bermuda grass soccer field. All told, this is nearly 45 acres of Bermuda grass.

Similar to the needle-tine process on the greens though, this is a time consuming job that is impossible to finish in one regular-hour day. So, applying the same grouping system as we did with greens, we are breaking the fairways and other Bermuda areas into groups. The fairways and approaches will be split into 3 separate groups, and the tees and soccer field will make up a fourth group. Again, each week will be a different group rotated throughout the month and through the summer, and all the same benefits for the members that applied to the greens work apply to the fairway work as well.

While it seems as though we are doing less in a day because we are only doing a third of the greens or fairways, we actually can get more done and not tie staff up to one job all day.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Bunker sand consistency

As we continue working through the renovation of the course according to the Master Plan, different holes are at different stages of completion. Some holes were completed several years ago, some holes were just wrapped up last year, and the remaining holes will be finished in the near future.  These different stages can be determined by looking at tee shape and size, green surrounds, and especially in the bunker shape, size, and sand. Old bunker sand is very noticeable because of its color and difference in playability.

Holes that have not been renovated have very contaminated sand in the bunkers that is a dark brown and has many finer particles of silt mixed in with the sand. These bunkers play differently and have to be managed differently from the bunkers that have been rebuilt. From the perspective of the Grounds department, the sand in the old bunkers has been mixed with enough silt that water has a difficult time draining through the material. So, after a rainstorm, these bunkers require extra time and labor to pump the water out. Meanwhile, playing from an old bunker can be different as well. The old style bunkers are built differently so they are not as deep. Also, the sand and silt bind together and pack very tightly, which can make the bunker too firm.

However, the new bunkers contain fresh, clean sand that meets all USGA requirements for use as bunker sand. The sand that has been added to renovated bunkers is free of any silt or soil contamination and therefore drains correctly. Also, aesthetically, the white sand is a great improvement. However, it can take some time getting used to the way the new sand reacts when taking a shot.

The new sand will dry out much faster during a stretch of hot, dry weather. This will affect how the new sand reacts when taking a shot. The dry sand will seem more fluffy and light, allowing the ball and club to settle deeper. The wet sand, however, will be packed tighter, be more firm and cause the ball to sit up and the club to dig in much less. This can be thought of as similar to the beach: when you first walk out onto the beach the sand is very dry, light, fluffy, and hard to walk on, but once you get to the sand that the tide is washing over, walking becomes much easier because of the firmness of the wet sand. Dry sand in the bunker will be more like initially walking onto the beach and shots must be played differently than from sand that is wet. While you cannot test the sand or ground your club in a bunker, stepping into the bunker can easily clue a golfer in to how the sand may react for the shot, just the way one can tell the difference in sand at the beach.

In the end, bunkers are hazards from which play is not meant. Even though we are in a time when all aspects of course maintenance are reaching such high standards, adjusting to the sand in a particular bunker is still up to the golfer.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org