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