Next steps after sod

As the Bermuda grass sod project continues, the course is improving. We will not sod everything that was damaged from the past winter. You can read the past blog post here about the priority areas on which we focused. So, what do we do next after the sod?

We have already seen progress from the cores/sprigs that we did two weeks ago. Most of the cores have “turned up,” meaning they have arranged themselves so that their leaves are growing up and their roots down. This is an important step because if this process doesn’t happen, then the sprig won’t grow properly. Over the next couple of weeks, the cores will continue to grow and begin to gradually fill in the thin areas. Due to this positive result and the fact that the sod will not stretch infinitely, we will start another phase of sprigging in the coming weeks. We will focus on the large areas that we originally skipped: in front of #4 tee, 2 large areas in #5 fairway, 2 large areas in #15 fairway, and 3 large areas in #17 fairway.

Then, following that round of sprigging, we will begin to seed, most likely in early August. The plan is to continue to force the healthy Bermuda grass to grow as vigorously as possible and continue to heal. We then seed any areas that are still not satisfactory or are not showing signs of healing quickly enough. This may include areas on any holes but will almost certainly also include the large areas previously mentioned. Since those areas are so large, the sprigs that we introduce will need some help to fully fill in. Once those sprigs set and begin to grow, then we seed. Between the sprigs, and newly germinated seed, this should provide the coverage necessary to fully heal in the worst areas.

Unfortunately, if you have followed the timeline, you will conclude that the worst areas may not be fully healed until near the end of summer. We will continue to push the turf, take any help we can get from Mother Nature, and use all tools available, but after a winter and spring like the last, we need time to recover.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please limit hitting extra shots on the course, especially if taking large divots or making ball marks.

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Bunker etiquette

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Sod work

Sod work started 6/15. We expect the work to progress quickly and with as minimal an impact to golfers as possible.

The sod crew started with 1 and 10 tees and are moving down 1, 10, and 18 fairways. Once those 3 holes are complete, work will switch to completing the remaining tees. When tees are complete, we will circle back around and complete approaches. That will complete our top 3 priorities. We will reevaluate resources and scheduling at that point to determine the next step.

We will proceed to all of the tees as the second step to give them a few days or more head start on the healing process. That way golfers are not displaced from the tee complexes into the fairways for longer than necessary. The approaches do not take quite the beating that tees do. Approaches can also be played as “ground under repair” and have less affect on a round versus teeing from much shorter distance. Although we are optimistic that the Bermuda grass sod will heal in and start to grow quickly, it will take some time. Our goal is to open most new sod for the International tournament on July 4^th.

Please be aware of all new sod and the sod crew as you play. We will continue to get things repaired as quickly as possible. Thank you for your continued patience.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please limit hitting extra shots on the course, especially if taking large divots or making ball marks.

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Bunker etiquette

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Bermuda grass sod

We are scheduled to begin sod work on the Bermuda grass this Thursday, June 14^th. We will contract the work to McDonald and Son’s, who also completed our Master Plan work.

The priority areas for sod are all necessary areas on holes 1, 10, and 18. This includes tees, fairway areas, as well as approaches (the areas just short of the greens). We will also sod all necessary tees and all necessary approaches on the rest of the course. Newly sodded areas will be “ground under repair” for about 2 weeks. We will put out signs and have reminders, but not every inch of new sod will be roped off or painted, as this would be too time consuming for us to do. Please be aware of new sod areas and use your best judgment to allow the quickest healing possible.

While this project will be significant, it is important to remember that not all damaged Bermuda grass will be fixed. To repair all dead Bermuda grass across the course would have been far too expensive. We will use the funds that we have to generate the biggest return for our money, but it will only stretch so far. In addition, some areas are too small and therefore not efficient to sod. It takes labor, equipment, and time to do sod work. If the crew is constantly moving from tiny area to tiny area, lots of their time and energy is spent traveling and not repairing.

We will continue to fertilize regularly, we will be sprigging (which was supposed to start last week, but the weather didn’t cooperate), and we will seed later in the season. Allowing areas to naturally heal is also a viable option. Any small areas that are showing signs of filling in on their own may be left alone to continue growing. We would like to encourage any Bermuda grass that survived last winter to populate any areas of turf that did not survive. Increasing the quantity of grass with strong genetics that was able to withstand the weather will only help in similar future situations.

This does not mean that following the sod project, that the Grounds staff will sit back and relax and no longer worry about the remaining injured areas. As we have mentioned, sod is only one aspect of the recovery process. Our work will not end once the sod is complete.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please limit hitting extra shots on the course, especially if taking large divots or making ball marks.

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Bunker etiquette

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Bermuda grass sprigging

Starting Monday, we will begin the process of sprigging some areas of Bermuda grass fairways. We will be focusing on areas that will not be sodded and are too large to allow to heal on their own.

Sprigs are the rhizomes, stolons, stems, and leaves of grass. They can be purchased and the process can be done commercially. However, we will be doing this in house, working on Mondays. We will not purchase sprigs. Instead, we’ll be using our aerator to pull cores of soil and grass out of healthy areas. The difference being the presence of soil with our cores versus only the plant material of actual sprigs. However, the grass can regrow from either practice.

Harvested cores can be seen in the bare areas

Cores being collected

Last week we tested the process on the Bermuda soccer field. The early results are promising and we expect the same if not better outcome on the golf course. We used our large 80” aerator to pull ¾” diameter cores from healthy grass on the soccer field. We then moved those healthy cores and placed them on the damaged areas and compacted them down into the soil. Once in their new location, the only factor that keeps them from growing is moisture. If we keep the cores wet, they will begin to grow. In this way, we are using the natural reproductive techniques of the Bermuda grass to our advantage. The only issue we had on the soccer field was that the aeration cores that we pulled did not hold their integrity very well. The soccer field is capped with 2-4” of sand. Sand is very difficult to aerate because it does not hold together well. Due to this, we did not get as many quality sprigs as we had hoped for. Nevertheless, the viable sprigs that we did

accumulate have already begun to grow.

On the golf course, the soil is a much heavier clay that does hold its shape much better. Aerating the fairways results in nice cores that will be much easier to harvest and move. Once the cores are compacted in the damaged area, we will run the irrigation in those areas to wet the cores.

Each spot of green tissue here is a core that
was moved into the bad area and
began to grow

An up-close shot of a new sprig starting
to grow

Over the course of the next week, depending on rain, we will be running the irrigation in the particular sprigged areas very frequently. If the cores dry out, the grass will die, and the process will have been for not. Therefore, please be aware that during this time, you may have to play near or around running sprinklers. We will do our best to manage the water away from play, but at this time, improving the Bermuda grass as quickly as possible is our priority.

Thank you for your patience.

More sprigs growing after relocation

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please limit hitting extra shots on the course, especially if taking large divots or making ball marks.

Also, as part of a Golf Committee initiative to improve course etiquette, we have included links to videos teaching proper on course etiquette. Please take a moment to watch:

Ball Marks - How to properly repair

Bunker etiquette

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org