#5 fairway

#5 fairway is off to the slowest start of any hole or area of Bermuda grass. There are several contributing factors, though no one single majority problem. We have already used several recovery techniques and some improvement has been seen.

Several factors converge to cause issues on #5 fairway. First, it is generally laid out from the southwest (tee) to the northeast (green). This puts the dominant tree line to the south-southeast, which blocks a good deal of sunlight in all seasons outside of mid-summer. Limiting light in the shoulder seasons can greatly affect the health of the Bermuda grass, especially when it is trying to break dormancy. Next, though the first two thirds of the fairway is sloped, the last one third is relatively flat and this impacts water flow. This is not an area that we see puddles, or that stays exceptionally wet after a storm. But, again, in the winter and spring, when we need water to move away quickly, this level terrain slows that process just enough to let water linger too long. Last, though we do not know the cause, the upper level of #5 fairway is always a cold temperature pocket on the property. Again, this is not a factor in the summer, but late cold snaps (exactly like what we had this May) can set back the turf greatly.

Most of the above issues are not easily changed. The tree line provides great shape to the hole. We have adjusted some rough/fairway edges to accommodate the shade pattern of two of the biggest trees. We eliminated some Bermuda grass that consistently struggled. The orientation and topography of the hole are also not readily adjusted. Therefore, we are mostly left with mitigating the potential Bermuda grass damage and expediting recovery.

We are several weeks into our recovery program already. The fairway has received 3 extra fertilizer applications thus far, with more still to come. Providing additional food for the healthy turf and encouraging its growth is the first step to healing. We have also sliced the Bermuda grass once. This also encourages healthy grass to move laterally. We will evaluate the need for a second round of slicing in the next couple of weeks. Following both the fertilization and slicing, we add additional water as necessary to the area. We discussed excess water potentially aiding in poor health in the winter and spring, but now that we need the Bermuda grass to grow vigorously, we do not want it drought stressed. Maintaining adequate moisture is key to making sure all the other practices we are employing work to their full potential. Lastly, once we get a little deeper into the season, we will begin seeding any areas that are still not performing up to standard.

Though we are unhappy that #5 fairway is struggling this season, it is a relief to have much less Bermuda grass repair to do than in past years. We will take many of the things we have learned from those other times and apply that to getting #5 back in shape as soon as possible.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not climb up the steep face of the bunkers.

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

Cart rules

The Golf Committee recently approved standard cart rules for all riders at Bretton Woods. Over time, the rules had been forgotten, neglected, or ignored, and it was time for an update.

Carts can cause a lot of stress to turfgrass. The constant traffic of tires across the grass causes wear. The weight of carts causes soil compaction. Driving on drought stressed turf can cause the grass to die. Driving across waterlogged areas can create ruts in the soil and injure the turf. Even though it may seem spread out over a large area, in many places, most carts take the same tracks. And even one or two areas of damage can detract from an entire hole. The rules that were approved are a way to protect sensitive turf and improve the playing conditions for everyone.

We do not need to reprint the entire list of rules. But a few highlights are key. First, the rules are not something that the Grounds department advocates just for our sake. The rules help keep the playing conditions the best that they can be, for everyone. We can repair damage, but with the list of other things we must get accomplished, problems created by carts driving where they should not, is a task piled on top.

Secondly, yes, we drive our carts and machines all over the place, sometimes in direct violation of the cart rules. We do not do this just for fun. Our carts and machines are designed for this (as golf carts are designed for golf courses), but the work we are doing requires us to drive to those places. We do it as little as possible, with as little disturbance as possible. But it cannot be entirely avoided.

Lastly, if it is too wet, carts are confined to the cart paths and blue handicap flags may not be allowed. We decide on each day’s cart restrictions EACH day. We do not plan that a certain day will be cart path only. We do not assume rain is coming and restrict carts from the first tee time. If carts are limited it is because we checked that day and concluded that carts on the grass would be detrimental to the overall conditions. If a thunderstorm rolls in late, carts may be restricted from then on. If a storm came through overnight, the morning may be cart path only, but possibly by the afternoon we may be ready to scatter. It is a fluid decision based on many, many factors: previous weather (was it wet or dry before the storm?), time of year (is the Bermuda grass actively growing?), current weather (hot? windy?), what kind of storm (how much rain? how quickly did it come? how long did it last?), timing of the storm (early in the evening or just before the first tee time?), plus more. The decision is not made lightly.

The cart rules are to protect the main investment of the club: the golf course. Please read and obey these updated rules. Thank you.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not climb up the steep face of the bunkers.

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

Approaching normal

As some semblance of order is restored after the shutdown, we have slowly returned some services to the golf course.

What seems like ages ago, as we were in the middle of quarantine for the coronavirus, many items were removed from the golf course. Bunker rakes, water coolers, ball washers, and, when we had to strictly enforce our closure, even flagsticks and tee markers. Reopening for golf in the state brought the flagsticks and tee markers back out some time ago, but it has taken until recently for some other things to return.

In the last week, we reintroduced the water coolers to the golf course. We have 16 water coolers on the golf course at any given time as well as 8 more at our shop to swap out when refilling. All of 24 of these coolers were cleaned extensively when we placed them back out on the course. As we move forward, each set of 8 water coolers that remain at our shop will be cleaned and then each water cooler that rotates through in our routine refilling will be cleaned at that time.

We also just reopened the bathrooms on the course as well. The bathrooms near #13 green as well as the porta-john near #8 green had both been closed since mid-March. Everything was given a thorough cleaning initially and will be cleaned regularly from here forward.

Everything looks different right now and may be different for a long time. We are happy to help get the facility closer to normal.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not climb up the steep face of the bunkers.

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

Rain, drains, and bunkers

Well, since we posted about new drains a couple of weeks ago, we went nearly that long without rain. Then last Friday evening we received more rain in a 2-3-hour span than we did for the ENTIRE month of May! The drains work. But we also now have bunkers to deal with. Since the renovation, bunker work has been dramatically reduced after a storm, but not eliminated.

Prior to the renovation, the bunkers could hold water for days without draining. Silt mixed into the sand made for an impermeable barrier and the water could not drain. Poorly functioning bunker drainage systems were also to blame, but the water took so long to get to the drains that even if they worked it would not have made much of a difference. We would spend hours pumping the water out of the bunker, only to spend hours pushing the sand back to where it was supposed to be.

Two photos of pre-renovation bunkers holding water.

We have come a long way since then. The new bunkers rarely hold water, and usually only related to the speed at which the water can move through the drain system, not how fast it can move down through the sand. We have not had to pump a bunker in 3 years; even the occasional time when the water is slow, it will be drained within an hour.

Silt build-up in a new bunker

Sometimes the washouts can be this minor

Now that all bunkers have been rebuilt our work is reduced. The sand still moves from the edges down into the middle and we must shovel it back. We get silt build-up as well, but we take care to remove the silt so that it does not get mixed in with the sand.

This is a relatively "bad" washout in our new bunkers.
Notice how much water is in the fairway in the background.

Rebuilding the bunkers was one of the key aspects of the renovation. Playability has improved, they look much better, but they also perform much better. It still takes us lots of labor to repair the bunkers. But what used to take several staff members several days to complete now only takes hours.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not climb up the steep face of the bunkers.

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

Washington Spirit

The soccer fields have had quite the vacation lately. During the pandemic, the fields have received little to no use and are looking good. Recently, the women’s professional team, the Washington Spirit, have used the upper field for a few days as they wait for their primary field to reopen.

The spring has been kind to most cool season turf. Warmth, but not too hot. Cool overnight, but only a few really cold nights. Adequate rain, but not over-saturated. This combination of factors has led to good conditions on the upper soccer field.

Photo of the Spirit practicing

As for the Bermuda grass field, the winter was mild. This allowed a vast majority of the Bermuda grass to survive and it came back nicely. However, April and May were cold to downright very cold at times (relative to favorable Bermuda grass temperatures) and this stunted the progress of the turf. However, now the field is back in gear and we are expecting an early June reopening.

Not having soccer matches contested on the surface makes for good turfgrass health as well. The concentrated foot traffic of the game is one of the biggest stressors to the turfgrass. Without it, the grass can grow virtually stress-free. Healthy areas continue to thrive, and weaker areas strengthen.

Items set up for more drills

But we do prefer people to use the golf course, soccer field, or facilities in general, even though it makes growing turfgrass harder! This past week (and possibly for 1 or 2 more weeks) the Washington Spirit have been training at Bretton Woods. Adhering to proper guidelines they can practice in small groups and use proper social distancing. It is good to see the fields back in use and fun to see some high-quality soccer, even if it is just drills.

A view of the lower field

The time off has been a positive thing for the soccer fields. At some point, soccer will be allowed again, and our fields should be ready to go.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not climb up the steep face of the bunkers.

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