Preparing greens for winter

Towards the end of the summer this year we discussed how we were going to approach our maintenance practices for the new Bermuda sod heading into fall and winter. Adjusting mowing heights and reducing wear on this turf is a vital aspect to our plan. These same principles are applied to our maintenance of greens.

Our greens are our most important piece of property. We focus the greatest deal of our energy and resources towards them. Similarly, we are also very conscious of taking great care of them when we head towards winter. While the greens do not completely stop growing at all during the year, when it is very cold they do slow to a crawl. Growing this slowly means that any damage will not heal. So we make sure to prevent any damage we can, and to reduce any stress going into the winter.

Raising mowing heights is the first and most easily achieved tactic we employ. The philosophy behind raising mowing height on the putting greens is very similar to that of Bermuda grass; more leaf tissue equals more roots, which equals a healthier plant headed into stressful times. We raise the height of the greens by .03-.035” gradually as winter approaches. This may seem minuscule, but it is a 30% increase over our regular height. 30% increase in roots, leaves, food production, and stress tolerance prepares the plant for handling winter.

In addition to mowing at a higher height of cut, we also mow less frequently. The growth of the grass slows, thus the need to be mowed declines. Mowing is also stressful to the plant, even though it is a regular practice. In fact, many of the practices we perform on the greens are stressful. Winter is also stressful on the plant, even though it is inevitable and turf grass has survived many winters before and will survive many more to come. However, if we can do anything to build the strength of the plant, we try to help. So our strategy is to mow less and roll more. Rolling is also stressful to the plant, but the far, far less than mowing. So we trade 1-2 cuts per week for a roll instead.

Topdressing is another practice that we use to help with winter strength. Putting sand on the surface of the greens is very common for us and is something we do all through the year. Continuing the practice through the fall and winter is our goal. One of the greatest benefits of the addition of sand to the soil profile is increasing water infiltration and percolation. Allowing water to break through the turf soil surface and then allowing it to move down through the root zone, means the water is not drowning the plant. This allows oxygen to stay in the soil. The sand topdressing on the greens also helps to physically protect the plant. The sand is applied lightly and falls into the canopy of the turf grass. The sand particles settle into the canopy and surround the crown of the plant, which is the “head” of the grass. This sand layer protects the plant from the cold and traffic.

We beat the turf up in spring and summer, so the least we can do is help the turf headed into winter.

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Please note that beginning in November we will reduce our posts to 1 per month. Thank you.

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Fall frost

This is a post that was written October 20^th of 2014; after this past weekend it is fitting that nearly 1 year later exactly we are experiencing our first frost conditions. So we thought it may be useful to refresh on some of the differences between spring and fall frosts:

October 20^th, 2014:

Lucky for everyone involved, we get to deal with frost twice per year: spring and fall. Dealing with the frost and the subsequent delay differs slightly between spring and fall.

Spring frost occurs as everything is coming out of winter. The ground is very cold and the turf has spent months adjusting and hardening off to the cold weather. The turf’s ability to withstand frost damage is as high as it will get. Though it is still vulnerable, the natural defense of the grass has been built up through enduring the cold winter. None of this is true in regards to frosts that occur in the fall.

In the fall, the ground is not cold, which helps to make the first few frosts not as severe. But it also means that the turf is not yet ready to deal with the low temperatures. Because the grass is still adjusting to the cold, it is at its most vulnerable for damage. Luckily, because these initial frosts are not heavy, damage is usually minimal. Also, because the daytime temperatures and soil temperatures are still relatively high, the grass is usually able to grow out of any damage that may occur. Nevertheless, the early fall frosts are still a time to be very cautious and allow the turf to adjust to the cold.

The most crucial fall frost is the first heavy frost. This is the frost that makes everything look white when you look out on the course. We must be very careful with this frost because there is a high risk of damage. The plant’s defenses are just kicking into gear and the growth has slowed so recovery would be minimal.

The Grounds department has some strategies to deal with and help shorten the frost delay. But there is one strategy in particular that is not always available in the spring that is available in the fall. As mentioned, the soil temperature in the fall is still high. The soil is insulated and it takes much longer for the soil temperatures to change compared to air temperature. So although the air temperature may drop below freezing early in the fall, chances are, the soil temperature is nowhere near that cold. This has two implications. First, because the ground is not freezing, it means that we have not shut down the irrigation system yet. The ground has not become cold enough to freeze the water in the pipes so there is no worry of burst pipes. So we have the irrigation system at our disposal. Having irrigation water available means that we can “water the frost off” the turf. Basic chemical properties of water state that above 32 degrees Fahrenheit water is a liquid and not frozen. The frost on the turf grass plant is below 32 degrees. So the irrigation water is warmer than the frost on the plant and irrigating the frost will melt it or at least turn it to a slushy-icy mix. Seeing the slush on the plant versus frost, means that the plant is no longer cold enough to cause water molecules to freeze on the surface and create frost. Now the cells inside the plant are thawed too so the frost damage potential is nearly eliminated.

This does not mean that we simply turn on all the sprinklers on the course and declare the frost delay over. Timing of watering the frost off is still crucial. If the irrigation is used too early, when the air temperature is still too cold, the plant will thaw momentarily only to re-freeze. This is often the case in shaded areas. The coldest part of the morning is just at sunrise. The surface of the earth has been losing heat all night and morning, all the way until the sun starts to rise and begin heating the earth again. Once the sun starts warming the turf, frost can be eliminated quickly with only a quick watering. However, in the shade, where the sun has not had a significant affect yet, turning the irrigation will not provide the same response.

Understanding frost in general is critical for the Grounds department. Just as important, is our understanding of the subtle differences between spring and fall frosts, as well as the strategies we can use to get golfers on the course as soon as possible which is always our goal.

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Please remember to keep your cart on the cart path when we are “Cart Path Only.”

*Please note that beginning in November we will reduce our posts to 1 per month. Thank you

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Seeding green surrounds

Fall seems to be in full swing now. We have had some terrific days, but the plentiful sunshine just doesn’t quite pack the punch that it does in summer months. However, the cooler nights, rain, and sun do help us make some repairs around the course after a long summer.

We did suffer some turf loss in the rough around the greens. A combination of poor irrigation equipment performance, inferior turf species, and very dry weather all contributed to the decline in the rough seen on several holes.

We have sprinklers at each green that water the greens and rough, but we also have sprinklers that only water the rough. These are adjustable so they can be set to not get any water on the putting surface. However, over time these can slowly work themselves out of adjustment and begin to water where they are not supposed to or, like this year, not water where they should be. Areas that were supposed to be receiving water were not and the turf suffered. We will be checking each sprinkler this winter to ensure we start out next year correct and we will increase our diligence in monitoring in-season.

The overwhelming majority of damage occurred on holes that have not been reconstructed yet. Holes where Master Plan work is complete suffered little if any damage because the rough grass sod that is used during construction is tall fescue, which is a very drought tolerant turf grass. On the holes where damage occurred, the majority of the grass is ryegrass which is far less drought tolerant. With the less drought-resistant ryegrass already weak, experiencing an exceptionally dry August and September magnified our imperfections and mistakes. This is what led to the clumps of grass mixed in the bare areas. Species that were able to survive the late summer were growing right next to other species that did not survive.

All of the damaged areas have recently been re-seeded with tall fescue and the seedlings are growing quickly already. These areas will fill in shortly. We will continue to incorporate more tall fescue whenever and wherever we can, either with sod or seed, to maintain playable rough around the greens all year.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please remember to keep your cart on the cart path when we are “Cart Path Only.”

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

#7 bunker project follow-up

Our work on the bunkers at #7 green went very well this week. Aside from adding a “freshening” coat of sand to the far right bunker, we are all done. We took pictures to mark our progress but to also help illustrate exactly how the bunkers had changed from when they were rebuilt, as part of the master plan up until now.

This picture shows the beginning of the process of removing old sand from the left bunker. We used our skid steer for the majority of sand and then shovels for the remainder. You can see how the old sand has been scooped away up to the edges.

Once the old sand had been removed, we sod-cut two passes around the lip of the bunker. After removing the sod, we began to shave the built-up sand off of the original bunker soil edge.

This picture is the same as above with added marks for reference. It helps to illustrate how much sand had been built up over time. The black lines represent where the original bunker was built. The red lines trace where the bunker edge had shifted to when we began our work.

This picture gives a ground-level perspective to show how much sand was accumulated on the soil.

You can clearly see the two distinct lines in this picture: one is the soil of the original bunker, the other is the sand built up on top.

Again, this picture has added marking for reference. Black traces the soil and red traces the edge as it was before we started our work.

This picture is taken looking down at the sand build-up on the lip of the bunker.

Same picture with added markings. Again, black traces original edge and red traces sand edge.

This shows a portion of the bunker completely shaved and edged back to its original state.

The left bunker on #7 after removing all of the sand, stripping the sod, and shaving the edges all the way around.

Grounds staff adding new sand to the bunker.

Adding new sand.

The completed bunker on the left of #7 green. New sand and new sod have been installed.

This picture is from work being done to the far right bunker at #7 green. We did not entirely replace the sand in this bunker. Instead we clear a 3-4' swath around the edge that gives us room to work and keeps soil from contaminating the sand while we work.

Piling all of the sand in the middle allows us to re-use the sand after we finish re-sodding the edge. We clean up our sod, shave the edge, and then push the sand back out to the edges. We will add a small layer of fresh sand just to brighten the bunker.

The work done this past week was labor intensive. However, staying on top of this process for all of the bunkers extends the overall life of the bunker. 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please remember to keep your cart on the cart path when we are “Cart Path Only.”

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org