New equipment wash pad

Keeping our equipment clean is a straightforward way to prolong its life. Washing the grass clippings, dirt, and other debris off after each use is a standard practice. We have a designated area in which to wash, and late this fall it was given a huge makeover.

Through normal use, our equipment gets dirty. Grass clippings accumulate on the mower decks in and around the drive belts. Leaves and dust get stuck on the air filter screens. Mud gets on tires and fenders when it is wet. None of this is out of the ordinary, but if not cleaned regularly, it can accrue and begin to cause problems.

This is not exactly a before shot, but it's close. The white pipes sticking
up are our irrigation connections. You can see how the area would get 
muddy from our water, but also runoff coming down the hill.

Many of you might know how grass clippings can build up on a machine- think about the mower you use at your house. The debris under the deck can get so thick that the blade can barely turn. Then, once it dries, it can harden and be very difficult to get off. We try to avoid this situation by cleaning the grass out after each use. Often the grass we mow is wet also. This wet grass sits on the mower and can cause rust to the frame. The clippings and moisture can also affect other parts of the mower and its operation and generally cause issues.

Excavating for the drain basin.

The quick, and easy way to stay away from these problems, is to routinely clean the machine. We do that by hosing the machine down after each use. Near our shop, at the bottom of the driving range hill, we have 2 hoses plugged into our irrigation system that we use to clean our equipment. While the location is convenient, the site was not great. We did not have a solid surface to park the equipment. The cart path leading in, was too narrow and crumbling on the edges. Lastly, our rinse water had no subsurface drainage in which to drain. Instead, it just flowed along the surface making the whole area muddy and contributing to the erosion along the edges of the cart path.

For our new site, we tore out everything and started over. A new, wider cart path leads to an asphalt pad with a drain basin built in. Pipes leading from the basin, take the rinse water away underground now. We built an earth berm to block the flow of rainwater coming down the driving range and diverted it around our wash pad, so that the drain does not back up from excess water. Finally, we sodded all around the new pad and cart path, then used seed and straw for the remainder.

The new drain basin in place.

The drain pipes leading from the basin.

Preparing for asphalt. Widening the road, as well as flaring out the corner
for easier equipment access.

Continuing to prepare for asphalt. Creating the 
swale to divert rainwater.

Ready for asphalt.

The new asphalt pad.

The new asphalt path.

New sod around the pad.

Complete with sod, seed and straw.

While this is a decidedly insignificant change for golfers, it is important for the Grounds department. We have a better place to wash our equipment, which means we can do a better job of taking care of our machines so that they perform on the golf course like we need them to.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not scrape snow off the green to clear your line for putting. Turf damage may occur. 

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

Chipping green bunker renovation

We worked for most of October and November on our annual bunker renovation work. We did holes #3 and #17 first. Our last bunker of this season was the Chipping Green practice bunker. This was an extreme example of the need for continual renovation.

Bunker prior to work starting

From inside the bunker prior to work starting

Though our process was identical to all other bunker renovation work, outlined here, the practice bunker receives such repeated use that it ages 2-3 times faster than regular bunkers. The single biggest factor for sand building on the lip of this bunker is the many, many shots hit out in the same direction. On the course, far fewer people will play from any particular bunker and moving the flag shifts the target enough that sand is sprayed over a wide area.

The chipping green bunker does not benefit from either of these factors. Everyone hits in the same direction and there may be several hundred shots taken out this one bunker per day. We must replenish the sand several times per year to keep enough in the bottom.

The dark brown clay at the bottom of the 
picture is the original soil base. There is approximately 2 feet
of sand built up on top.

The glove in the center of the picture is placed for scale to show
how deep the sand is built up on the green.

So, where does all that sand go? Out onto the bunker edge as well as onto the green itself. We started by removing the old sod as usual. Then the built-up sand was removed until we reached down to the original clay soil. We also stripped about 8 feet of green surface as well to remove the sand from underneath. The green sod was then laid back in place. New rough sod was laid around the entire bunker complex and everything looks good as new.

Another shot from inside the bunker showing
the excess sand

A finished shot from inside the bunker

In addition, as part of this project, we also resodded the entire chipping green collar to bent grass. This is the same sod we used to repair the collar on #9 as part of the drainage project we did on that green. This gets us one step closer to replacing all the collars to bent grass.

Replacing the green sod after removal
of extra sand

The new collar sod

Fully complete with new rough and collar sod in place

It is good that the practice bunker is used by so many people. But it kept us busy making sure the bunker stays close to its original design.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

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

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

Leaf discussion

 

We are knee deep in leave cleanup right now. A few cold days have triggered the process and leaves are falling across the property. We do not so much try to stay ahead of the leaves as much as we try not to get buried.

Windy days (we have had several), rainy days (only a couple), warm days (above average for October), or cold days (some) can all contribute to leaves falling off the trees. At this time of year, sometimes looking at the leaves will make them fall. This makes managing the cleanup particularly difficult.

You can read more about our overall process here, but here are a few things to keep in mind:

• ·        If it is frosty or wet, we may have to wait until later in the day or for another day entirely before we can resume cleanup. Similarly, if it is windy, trying to corral the leaves is nearly impossible. We may choose to skip trying to clean the playing surfaces until a calmer day. So, playing through leaves may happen.
• ·        Blowers will be running for several hours or more each day. They cannot stop for every golfer that is within earshot or we would never finish. The same is true for the vacuum. Please be patient.
• ·        We make piles for the vacuum in the most efficient places. For example, blowing a large amount of leaves the entire length of a hole does not make sense. We make the pile where most of the leaves are already located. Sometimes this will be near the line of play and balls can easily be lost in the piles. Unfortunately, this is a fact of fall golf. We will make every attempt to keep our piles away from play as much as possible.
• ·        Lastly, while leaf cleanup overwhelmingly dominates our course prep attention, we do have other tasks we are trying to accomplish (e.g. #3 and #17 bunker work). We must balance our efforts.

Blowing leaves can be frustrating (a big gust of wind comes and completely undoes your pile!) but keeping the course clean is the goal. It takes several weeks to work thru most of the leaves and we are amid the worst of it now. Thank you for your patience.

 

Also, our bunker renovation work is progressing well. #17 has been completely sodded. Look for the greenside bunkers to open early this week and the fairway bunker to follow likely by the end of the week. Work has already shifted to #3 and we will follow the same process as #17. The final bunker that we will work on this year will be the practice bunker at the Chipping green.

 

Starting in November, and running thru February, we will reduce our posts to once per month. Thank you.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please stay off all grass surfaces during a frost delay.

 

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

Frost discussion

It is frost season again. We have been lucky that we have had very few cold mornings so far, and the ones we have had have not resulted in extended delays. Nevertheless, it will happen soon, and everyone should be prepared (More reading to be found here, here, and here.)

Frost is frustrating for everyone- especially the Grounds department. Our ability to prepare the course is reduced or eliminated entirely, all the frosted turf is susceptible to damage, and trying to manage the golfer’s expectations along with the weather is difficult.

We make every effort possible to provide the best conditions each day. This does not mean conditions are the same every day- the course will not play the same on a rainy spring day as it does on a dry, early summer day- but our goal is to make each day the best it can be. All our maintenance is aimed at improving turf health and providing good conditions. Frost makes this particularly difficult.

Typically, a frosty morning happens before a day of nice weather and busy golf course. We have lots of people wanting to enjoy the course and the Grounds department is not able to adequately prepare the course due to the delay. We achieve everything we can, but sometimes it is not feasible to fit an entire morning of maintenance in between when the frost lifts and when golfers are ready to play. This is hard to manage.

We also must be weary of causing damage to the turfgrass. We must wait also. While our time is not wasted while we wait (there are ALWAYS things to do!), we still are not able to start our regular morning routine. We cannot get our machines on the grass and most times we cannot even walk on the grass (the exception being when the frost is in some areas but not others). Protecting the turf is important, so we wait just like the golfers. All of this comes to a head when the frost starts to break: we hurry out and try to get the course prepared as quickly as possible, but we also try to let the golfers go at the earliest possible moment. Care must be taken not to rush back onto the grass though.

We cannot control the weather- including frost. We want the delay to be as short as possible just like the golfers. Educating everyone on the reasons for the delay can help in tempering golfer’s expectations of when they may get to play. We walk a tightrope between what we want to accomplish, letting everyone enjoy the course, but protecting it also.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please stay off all grass surfaces during a frost delay.

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

Upcoming tree work

Keeping up on tree maintenance is a never-ending task. Trimming and removals require time, labor, and expertise. We contract this work out so that it is done efficiently and effectively.

Over the next few weeks, we will be working on trimming select trees as well as removing dead trees on holes 5-9, and 11. Although no one likes it, trees die. Removing those trees is necessary for safety and aesthetic reasons. Sometimes healthy trees need to be removed on golf courses for playability and turf health, but at this point we will only be removing dead trees.

A large concentration of work is centered in this area of the property and will allow for the most efficient use of the contractor’s time. Stumps will be ground as work progresses and we have seed and soil ready to place back into the stump hole to get grass growing as soon as possible. We have done this kind of focused tree maintenance in the past, which you can read about here and here.

A few notes on the upcoming work:

-Several large oaks along the right side of #5 will have dead branches cleaned out of them. These are very large, nice trees and taking the unsightly branches out will improve their look.

-Several dead/dying maples will be taken out to the right of #11 tee. Not only are these trees in decline, but they also limit the amount of light that reaches the Bermuda grass on the tee boxes. Ugly trees will be removed, and we will gain more sunlight for struggling turf.

While this work only consists of taking trees out, we do have a strong tree planting program highlighted here, here, and here. Aside from those linked posts, we have planted many, many more trees on the property. Accordingly, the next priority planting location is up and to the right of 5 green where the hole abuts 7 fairway. We will likely plant between 7-9 trees in that location alone, which will make up for about half of the removals from this round of maintenance.

Golf is played on turfgrass, but maintenance of a golf course entails much more. Maintaining and removing trees is a large part of the property’s overall upkeep.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please stay off all grass surfaces during a frost delay.

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

4 and 15 drainage projects

 Two weeks ago we finished the drains on #9 and #8 greens. Our next goal was to get drains put in #4 and #15 greens. We finished both last week.

Following the same process as before, we added a drain line to the far back left of #4 green. This area had been a trouble spot in the past, where water would puddle and suffocate the turfgrass. But this year, with excessive rain timed with oppressive heat and humidity, the turfgrass failed worse than it ever has. We had been planning for some time to add drains to #9 and #15, so adding this to the list made sense.

We only had to excavate about 10 feet onto the green and then extend the drain line about 30 feet straight away from the putting surface. No connections or turns made this a very easy addition to our project list. From stripping the sod to drain line done and replacing the sod was less than 4 hours.

The drainage issue on #15 green had been on our list previously. We knew that there was a small drain on the green near the location we wanted to improve. However, this drain did not extend anywhere else onto the green: it just had an inlet 6 inches onto the green. Our first step was to determine that this existing drain line was functional (it was) and then determine how best to attach our new line to it.

We extended the new drain line several feet in each direction from the existing inlet, following the bend of the lower left-hand side of the green. Now water that flows down the slope of the green will have an escape route instead of puddling. We were also able to finish this drain on the same day as #4.

These poor areas- #4, #8, #9, #15- where we have added drains are not the only areas that could use help in moving water. We simply picked the worst on the list. We will continue to identify and plan for the next areas as they arise.

 

Also, a few things coming up:

-          We will be starting our bunker renovation work this week. This year’s scope is holes 3, 17, and the Chipping green practice bunker. As we progress, bunkers will be occasionally marked as Ground Under Repair.

-          Leaf season is here. We will be working diligently to keep everything clear. Blowers and the vacuum will be out. Please be patient with the process. Thank you

-          Frost delay season is also here. We hate frost more than golfers. It interferes with our work and our ability to produce a great golf course for the members. Nevertheless, we all must stay off all grass during a delay or damage can occur that will be noticeable all winter. Please check the website or call the Golf Shop for frost delay updates. Thank you

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please stay off all grass surfaces during a frost delay.

 

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

9 green drainage project

We mentioned our plan to add a new drain to the low end of #9 green several weeks ago. The project is now finished. Below is a recap of the project and some photos of the work.

We also completed the drain on #8 last week. This week we will be working on #15 and #4 and our expectation is those will be complete by mid-week.

There are several issues that cause #9 green to hold water and the low end of the complex to suffer: poor subsoil under the green; layer of sand on top of soil in the collar, traffic from golfers and machines in a tight area, and the presence of a “collar dam” to name a few.

A photo just as work began. The greens sod
has been cut and is being removed.

Preparing to trench.

The goal was to correct or improve as much of these issues as possible. While we did not remove all of the poor subsoil, we did cut a trench into it, insert pipe, and replace with sand that will allow water through much easier. The pipe will also give the water an exit from the profile.

Cleaning out the trench.

Pipe and gravel have now been added.
We use sand to fill the remainder of the
trench up to the level of the existing greens mix.

Layering can be one of the worst problems for turf. In fact, we suspect it to be partly responsible for some of the issues in the collars and green surrounds, though not the only culprit. We have a sand layer over the top of the native soil. This sand layer is relatively shallow, but inconsistent in depth. It is most prevalent nearest to the green due to sand being topdressed over, blown onto, or otherwise making it into the rough. The problem arises because roots and water tend to stay in whichever layer is on top.

An up close shot of layers at #9. The white/lighter soil is
the sand sitting on top of the soil.

Replacing the greens sod.

The drain is finished and the greens sod
has all been replaced. At this point we
were waiting for sod to finish the collar.

When it rains, the water stays in the sand layer and moves laterally until the sand is saturated, then it moves down. This is not too troublesome. However, we have problems when the sand gets dry because the roots are there too. Like water, plant roots do not like to push through layers. They can and will, but not if there is an easier path to growth. In this case, the sand layer is just such a path. But all the plant’s roots are in the layer that can get too hot and too dry. Even if the soil below has some moisture, the sand can dry out very quickly and the roots have very little chance of survival.

This sand layer also created what is generally called a “collar dam.” A collar dam is when the collar is higher than the green at the spot where water tries to flow off the surface. The water is blocked by the higher collar, flow stops, and the water puddles on the green. If the subsurface drainage is sufficient, the puddle will be gone within an hour or two after the rain stops. But if the drainage is poor, the water can sit for longer and kill the turf. This was also an issue faced by #9 green.

So, for #9, when we were preparing the site for sod, we removed the sand layer from the collar and surrounds that we were working on. Not only did this eliminate the layering issue in this spot, but the sand was also the source of the collar dam. It is now gone too. This alone should help this area tremendously.

Removing the collar sod.

The collar is prepped for sod. Looking closely you 
can see a small pile of excess sand. 
That is the material from the collar
dam.

Laying collar sod.

Complete.

We will work to heal the last thin spots on the green this fall. Once that is grown in, with the new drain, the area will have a much better chance of surviving the next “hottest summer on record” (which most likely will be next year!).

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

When you splash bunker sand onto the green after your shot, please brush away any large piles or clumps that may have ended up on the green. 

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

Tweaks to spring dead spot control

 

As new information becomes available, our strategies evolve in the battle against spring dead spot (SDS). We have even tweaked our approach just from last year.

5 years ago, the conventional wisdom advised multiple fungicide applications to treat spring dead spot. If you were able to follow those instructions, then the first application needed to be made in August to make sure there was time to fit all 3 applications in before it was too cold. We followed this protocol for several years with good, but not great results, though we were happy due to the difficulty in dealing with SDS.

Multiple applications are still recommended but timing those applications has changed in the past 2 years. Two years ago, we started monitoring soil temperatures to time the first application, waiting for the soil to drop below 70 degrees for 3 consecutive days. Though there were some other factors that contributed to the Bermuda grass struggling the next spring, spring dead spot specifically was not a major contributor. We saw a modest but noticeable improvement.

Another aspect of university SDS recommendations, is to make sure that the fungicide is watered into the soil immediately after application. This has been the standard practice for many years, and we have always done it. However, now the research has better quantified the amount of water needed- about ¼”. This is a lot of water to apply via irrigation. The research has also suggested we have the option to apply half of this total the next morning after the application, not only as a practical measure due to the volume needed to apply, but also as a way to ensure the greatest amount of fungicide reaches the target.

Part of what we call “dew” is called guttation, a sugary substance from inside the plant. The plant exudes this each morning as part of a natural process. Caught up in this can also be other materials, such as fungicides that were previously taken up by the plant. So, in our situation, at the time of the application, the plant will draw in some of the fungicide we applied. Normally, this would be a positive- the plant would be protected against a disease by having the fungicide inside of it. However, the SDS pathogen is in the soil, so we need our material to contact it in the soil. By watering again the next morning, any fungicide that was caught up and pushed out of the plant in the guttation fluid is knocked back down into the soil by that second wave of water. So, the maximum amount of our product reaches the soil.

Putting it altogether, this year we have watched soil temperatures closely, and have just applied our first treatment as of 9/19. This is about 1 week earlier than last year. We also watered following the spray and again the next morning, which we have not done in the past. Our next application will be roughly 3 weeks after the first.

There are many factors that contribute to a good or bad start for the Bermuda grass in the spring, one of which is spring dead spot. Following best practices, we supplied the recommended amount of water and hit the timing window. And, based on the research, by nailing the timing and watering, we have put ourselves in the best position to at least defend against spring dead spot.

 

Also, please note that hole #9 will be closed today, 9/21, as we begin a drainage project. The hole will reopen Tuesday, but with work ongoing. Thank you

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

When you splash bunker sand onto the green after your shot, please brush away any large piles or clumps that may have ended up on the green.

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

Gray leaf spot

Gray leaf spot can be a very damaging disease. It affects tall fescue and ryegrass predominantly, which are our two most prevalent rough grasses. Unfortunately, conditions were ripe last week, and the disease did some damage.

An up-close shot of an individual leaf blade
and lesion

Gray leaf spot is named for the gray/tan/orange lesions that appear on affected plants. These lesions slowly grow if left unchecked and the individual blighted turf can turn into a patch of diseased turf.

Prolonged leaf wetness, heat, and humidity are the leading factors in developing an outbreak. Improper irrigation timing, rain, or mornings of heavy dew and cloud cover leave the tissue wet, and then the heat and humidity later in the day lead to infection. Once one plant is infected, nearby plants can become sick quickly, which leads to the patches of disease.

Unfortunately, newly seeded grass is especially susceptible. For us, this means that several areas of new seed in the collars that had started promisingly, were quickly killed by gray leaf spot. In addition, several established areas that had survived all the other trials of the summer, were also quickly infected.

A gray leaf spot disease patch

Although we do spray fungicides preventively against this disease, the conditions overcame our chemicals. Also, the new seedlings had just begun to grow and were not germinated during the previous chemical application, so they had no protection, and our next application was a few days away. We could have sprayed sooner to provide protection to the newest grass; however, rain prevented the application (the same rain that provided unnecessary leaf wetness that spurred the disease).

We will reseed the worst areas again. We use seed that is bred to be resistant to gray leaf spot and it does well under moderate conditions. Nevertheless, when conditions progress to severe, the pathogen can overtake the inherent resistance and still cause damage.

Another patch

Though this was a setback to our recovery from summer, it is not devastating. We were able to identify the problem and halt its spread. We will bounce back and continue working to get conditions back to normal.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

When you splash bunker sand onto the green after your shot, please brush away any large piles or clumps that may have ended up on the green.

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

Adding bunker sand

 

We do many different things to the bunkers: general raking, shoveling after a storm, resurfacing the edges, adjusting sand depths, and adding new sand. We have been working on this last aspect over the last couple of weeks and we will be finishing this week.

Sand is removed from the bunkers for many reasons: golfers blasting it out with their shots, wind erosion, removal with silt contamination, and more. So, we must continually add more sand in to keep adequate amounts for playability. Our focus of the last few weeks has been to get new sand into all the greenside bunkers.

Using our larger dump carts, we add anywhere from 1-4 loads per bunker, depending on its size. We spread this new sand directly over the clean sand underneath, making sure that the majority of what we add stays in the center of the bunker where most shots are hit from. The center is also where we tend to remove sand most often, either with the bunker machine dragging it towards the edges or removing contaminated sand after a storm.

We do our best to preserve the existing sand in the bunkers. However, working to keep them in the best shape possible means adding new sand regularly as well. Happy Labor Day.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

When you splash bunker sand onto the green after your shot, please brush away any large piles or clumps that may have ended up on the green.

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

Looking ahead to fall projects

 

Today is the last day of meteorological summer. The last few years, summer-like weather has extended into September, and we would not expect that trend to slow down, but with day lengths shortening and normal temperatures dropping, we are headed towards fall. This means leaves, recovery, and projects. Here are some things we have planned:

Drains- We will be adding drains to the poor areas on 4 green, 8 green, 9 green, and 15 green. Similar to what we did on #17, these new lines will only work to remove water from the bad area and the immediate vicinity, not the entire green. However, the benefit will be noticeable. The puddles of standing water in each of these areas will be eliminated, allowing the turf to survive much easier through the summer.

Bunker renovation- This fall we are scheduled to renovate the bunkers on holes #3, #17, and the Chipping green practice bunker. Just like we did last year and previous years, we will remove the old sod around the edges, locate the original bunker edge, then lay new grass. The work at the chipping green bunker will be especially delicate due to the large volume of sand that has been ejected from that bunker onto the green. We will carefully remove some of the grass on the green, get the built-up bunker sand out from underneath, and then carefully replace the same sod back onto the green.

Seeding- Our fall seeding efforts will continue as well. Our routine green surround seeding is always on the list. We will also be adjusting some fairway/rough edges through seeding as well. We did this in a few places last year- #1, #5, #10 for example- and the results were terrific. The goal is to seed into existing Bermuda grass (either intermediate cut or fairway) that is performing poorly because of shade and use the new cool season seed to make the area into rough. The benefit of this method is that there is no tree removal. We simply change the shape of the fairway and rough in the under performing section. The rough gets better in these particular locations and the Bermuda grass does better too. This tactic is not possible in every situation, but we have identified a few more places to do again this fall.

Recovery/Improved Fall conditions- Not all our attention will be on projects. We will also continue to make sure that the recovery we have started, continues until conditions are back to everyone’s expectations. The above projects certainly add to improved conditions, but more in the long term. We want to make sure that this fall’s playing conditions are as good as possible also.

If all these projects go well, and the weather is still cooperating, we will also add new drains to #1 fairway, #8 fairway, and #11 approach.

There is never a shortage of projects and plans after the season. We are ready, and fall is a great time to tackle the work.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be conscious to not cut corners with your golf cart. The inside edges of turns are easily worn out after repeated traffic.

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

Early signs of recovery

This upcoming week will remind us of July, but we finally got a quick break last week, and we are headed in the right direction now. We have been working hard on our recovery programs and the weather finally helped a little.

We were treated to some much-needed cool overnight temperatures and a few mild day-time highs as well. Not only are these beneficial for the existing turf on the greens, it is also great for the seed we have been putting out. Many physiological processes within the turf plant slow considerably or cease altogether when air temperature, soil temperature, or both get too high. Having both measurements lower has helped tremendously.

This is the hand dimple seeder we used on the greens
as well as collars.

Here is a close-up view of the actual 
spikes on the seeder. Each spike pokes a small hole
and we spread seed into the holes by hand.

All bad areas on greens have been seeded twice now. The seed has germinated and is growing already. This is a good start, but we are a long way from full recovery. We will continually make light, soluble fertilizer applications to promote growth and vigor. This young grass must establish itself and be ready to handle the heat, humidity, and stress to which the original turf succumbed.

While it works to grow, we will also be encouraging these seedlings to spread laterally to fill in the voids. We do this by mowing the grass and slowly decreasing the height of cut. This process cannot be rushed, or the young grass will be shocked by the abrupt scalping and die.

If you look closely you can see the evenly spaced tufts of 
grass in the bad area. These are the new seedlings
growing in the small holes created by the dimple seeder.

A wider shot showing all of the new seedlings in an over-seeded area.

We are halfway done seeding the collars also. At this point, we are doing this by hand, to maximize the amount of seed we get out and to get the seed more accurately where it is needed. Later in the fall, we will seed the collars again using our tractor-mounted seeder, which does a great job in big areas but cannot maneuver in small spaces. No seeds have germinated on the collars yet, but we expect it to begin soon. As we monitor the development, if more seed is needed, we will not hesitate to go around the course again.

While we are far from healed and back to normal, the process has started, and the early results are encouraging. We will continue to be diligent to get the course back to what we all expect as soon as possible.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be conscious to not cut corners with your golf cart. The inside edges of turns are easily worn out after repeated traffic.

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

August update

 

We continue to battle the rain. We had to reschedule aeration and we are falling behind on mowing. Here are a few updates on what is happening: 

1.       We are now at 11.5” of rain since July 22^nd. Some heat has continued, and overnights have not been cool yet either. This has not allowed for true recovery of turf yet. It also severely hampers what we can do on the course. Heavy mowers must be very strategic just to cut something. Cutting all the rough has been virtually impossible. Greens, tees, and fairways are also very difficult to maintain when they are that wet. We will continue to work hard to get things back under control.

2.       Though we had to reschedule aeration, the new dates went well. We were able to complete all our tasks, on time and without major interruptions. Compost was applied to the Bermuda grass as well and now healing can begin.

3.       We have started to work on recovery for the poor areas on greens and collars. All the bad spots on the greens have now been seeded. Another round of seeding will be done in a few weeks. This week we will also start seeding the collars.

4.       In between rains at the end of the week we were also able to aerate both soccer fields and seed the upper field. This is the time of year that we regularly close the upper field for an extended period of maintenance. Aeration, seeding, and sod where necessary are all part of the plan. In normal years, it also provides a break from play for the field after a long spring and summer. The field reopens in early September refreshed and ready for the fall season.

5.       Lastly, here are a few pictures to follow up from the discussion a few weeks ago. We tried to mow greens when they were borderline too wet. We came across a wet area on the chipping green that is not normally wet, it was mowed, and scalped. That was the determining factor for deciding not to mow any more that day. We expected the turf to suffer, and it has. The point, though, is that spots similar to these could have been on every green instead of just the chipping green (though we do have bad areas on other greens, most are not directly a result of mowing the turf when it was to wet). So, the greens were long, and putted very poorly. But most of the turf did not suffer like in these pictures.

It continues to be a difficult stretch of weather and turf conditions. We are committed to continuing the repair effort and dealing with whatever Mother Nature gives us.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be conscious to not cut corners with your golf cart. The inside edges of turns are easily worn out after repeated traffic.

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

Poor conditions

 

There are several areas of the course that are in poor condition right now. There are a few contributing factors, but the weather has played an outsized roll. We have plans for short term repair and long-term improvements to help each situation in the future

Since July 22^nd, we have received 8.77” of rain. That much rain causes all sorts of issues, some of which we have just recently discussed, here and here. Sometimes the moisture can cause disease, prevent us from maintaining certain areas, or just be a nuisance. Other times, the excessive moisture can plain kill the turf. This July was the 3^rd hottest July ever. It set a record for the most 90+ degree days in any month, ever, with 28. The low temperature has not dropped below 70 degrees in 42 straight days…and counting. We do not post this information as an excuse, but rather to show how difficult the recent stretch of weather was and continues to be. We cannot control these factors and they are all working against us.

Right now, we are seeing several examples of excessive moisture killing grass on greens. The soil becomes so saturated that there is no oxygen available for the roots. The plants cannot transpire and overheat and suffocate. It does not take long in 90-degree temperatures for death to occur. This is mostly to blame for the bad spots on 4, 8, 9, 15, and 17 greens. 4, 8, 9, and 15 all are scheduled to have small drains put in this fall to alleviate a majority of these issues, similar to what we did on 17 green last year, though less extensive. Although it will not be an immediate fix, in the long term it will greatly reduce these issues from recurring.

We are also struggling with several areas in the collars. The collars are the narrow band immediately around the greens and include the slightly wider area that separate the greens from the Bermuda grass approaches. The collars receive a great deal of traffic: golfers walking across, mowers turning around and mowers cutting the collar itself. This adds up. Also, the collars are currently a mixture of several grasses, some of which do ok in the heat, some of which do very poorly. Add in too much water and selection starts to take place- the strongest survive and the others do not. We see this in the pinch points on 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, and 14 collars. Though several others have thin turf, these are the worst spots. In the short term, we will seed into these areas with grass that is continually bred to handle our conditions better and better. However, we are developing plans to also lay new sod in the worst areas once the busiest of the season passes. This new sod will serve as a test to see if it will be a viable option to possibly replace the collars on the entire course in the future.

Lastly, the rough around the greens has declined again this summer, though not nearly as much as years past. This is a positive trend, though still hard to deal with. The rain has less to do with in this instance than the heat. The immediate area around the greens used to be collar. Those of you who have been here many years will remember the collar being more than twice as wide as it is currently. When we resized it, we let the old collar turf grow taller and adjust to being rough. However, the soil underneath was still “collar/green” soil, meaning very high sand content, and it does not support rough height turf the same way as it would a collar, tending to dry out very quickly. And the rough grass was treated differently by us also- our watering practices were mostly to allow the irrigation system to solely provide the necessary water. However, as we have managed this issue, we have increased our attention to this area. Our full program of proper seed selection and twice-yearly seeding, twice yearly aeration, extra fertilization, and hand watering are all paying off. We will continue to adjust so that the improvement continues and work hard to speed up the process.

There is a reason our area is called the transition zone- there is no one type of grass that performs best in all areas. This why we have warm season tees and fairways (Bermuda grass) and cool season greens, collars, and rough (Annual bluegrass, ryegrass, bentgrass, and tall fescue). For our situation, it would not work to have all warm or cool season grass in every area. So, we continue to work hard battling the weather to provide the best course possible and repairing things when we fall short.

 

Please note, aeration begins today, with 9 holes open Monday and 9 holes open Tuesday. Thank you. 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be conscious to not cut corners with your golf cart. The inside edges of turns are easily worn out after repeated traffic.

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