Final greens application

Believe it or not, as winter approaches, we still have one last chemical application to make on greens. Sometime between now and the end of the year is the window for which we are aiming to spray.

We have several components to this last application, covering several different needs for the greens. We often combine chemistries that accomplish different goals. Even during the season, when we spray, the tank will contain multiple products that help protect the plants, aid water movement through the soil, or any number of other things.

In this last spray we have three main goals:

1.       Protect the turf against possible disease over the winter.

2.       Discourage the Poa annua on the greens from producing seedheads.

3.       Aid in water movement during the winter.

Snow mold is a disease that affects turf over the winter. There are two types, one which requires snow over and one that does not. In our case, we are protecting against both, but particularly the type that occurs under snow. Although lately, extended snow cover has been uncommon, we still play it on the safe side because real damage can occur if left unprotected. This product will last until at least very late winter and possibly early spring.

In the last five years, new research has shown that applying a growth regulator to Poa annua, or annual bluegrass, can greatly reduce the amount of seedhead pressure that occurs in the spring. Since our greens are predominantly annual bluegrass, this is a crucial component for us. Timing can vary, sometime between Thanksgiving and the end of the year, is the best for this last plant growth regulator application. Again, applying the product now will last until March.

Finally, we will include a wetting agent in the upcoming spray. Again, following new research, putting a wetting agent in applications more frequently is better. We add the wetting agent into every single spray that we apply to greens, and this final one for the year is no different. During the winter, the wetting agent is important especially when the greens get waterlogged from heavy rain or snow melt, and the sun is not strong enough to evaporate the moisture. The wetting agent helps the water move down through the soil profile. In conjunction with the deep tine aeration completed last month, the wetting agent helps keep the surface firmer and less spongy.

Although normal turf growth has slowed to a crawl, we still need this last application on the greens. This application is critical to making sure the greens work through winter and start next spring on the right foot.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please do not scrape snow or ice 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

Golf Cart tips

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Deep tine aeration preview

It is now the middle of fall- the leaves are coming down in droves- and the weather has been more consistently cold. Despite the temperatures, we are still preparing the greens for winter. Starting today we will be deep tine aerating the greens as part of this preparation.

The growth of the turf has slowed tremendously. However, the soil is still warm enough and daytime highs are warm enough that the plants are still working on getting ready for the cold. Storing carbohydrates and growing and strengthening roots is all occurring currently. We are still consistently feeding the turf so that there is sufficient energy available to complete the steps necessary ahead of winter.

Another important step we take is to deep tine aerate the greens. Just as the name implies, this aeration goes deep down into the greens- about 7-8”- and provides several key benefits. First, because this aeration is so much deeper than our typical 2” depth, we are breaking into new soil and working through any layering that may have occurred. Second, by opening these channels so much deeper, we provide avenues for new roots to reach further down into the soil to find water, oxygen, and nutrients. Deeper roots equal healthier plants all season long and forcing the roots to reach deeper into the soil is a huge benefit. Lastly, any water that is not used by the plant now has an outlet to exit the soil over the winter through these new deep holes. Instead of being stuck in the upper layers of soil all winter, the water can percolate down through the profile, especially through these new holes, reducing soft mushy surfaces and potential damage that may occur as a result.

Even though this season is nearly over, performing one last cultural practice to the greens is beneficial. Setting the turf and soil up for success heading into winter ensures that when spring rolls back around, the system is ready for the next season.

 

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

Golf Cart tips

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

More on frost

We had our first frost last week, but it was light enough to not cause much of an inconvenience. Coming up this week it looks like at least two days with temperatures cold enough to warrant a delay.

Frost has been discussed on the blog many times before. For some more background information, we direct you to those past posts: here and here. But for some quick topics that come up repeatedly, here are a few reminders for the frost season:

There will be more than one occasion where golfers may leave their house and have no frost, but we can easily have frost here at the course. Our temperatures can get colder than in town.

During the delay, all areas of the course are closed. While frost can form in some areas but not others, trying to direct people frost/no frost areas would be too difficult. A frost delay equals a full closure. This means no mingling in the grass around the putting green or first tee.

Walking on frost can cause damage or death to the plant, but carts are especially destructive because they are heavier. We must consider the cart traffic that will occur on the course when managing a delay.

Lastly, after most frost delays, some form of course preparation must take place. Anything from a full setup to a minimum of changing cups and blowing leaves, takes time. Here is the tricky part: we can’t go do that setup until after the frost- the Grounds staff is delayed too. So, we must balance allowing the golfers out onto the course as soon as possible, while also leaving time for some work. Frost may be clear near the clubhouse as golfers wait, wondering why they aren’t allowed out yet, but it may be because we are getting our work done.

Without a doubt, the Grounds staff dislike a frost delay more than golfers. Nevertheless, at this time of year we all have no choice but to manage our way through the cold mornings.

 

Starting in November, and continuing through February, we will shift to 1 post per month. Thank you.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please don’t stand in one place for an extended period of time to practice putting. Your footprints can be worn into 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

Golf Cart tips

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

More on leaves

We are moving deeper into fall and the leaves have started to ramp up. Sometimes it can seem as though we never make progress, but we do have a process for this yearly task.

Blowing the course everyday is time consuming and monotonous. And losing golf balls in piles of leaves is frustrating. Nevertheless, for several weeks a year, leaves are at the forefront for golfers and the Grounds staff, and many other tasks take a back seat. Keeping the surfaces clean keeps the course playable, but we also must focus on removal of the leaves, otherwise we are just pushing them around from one side to the other.

Generally, early in the week we try to focus heavily on leaf removal. Racing around the course and simply cleaning the greens, tees, and fairways takes at least 4 hours. Doing this daily wouldn’t allow enough time to clean up and we would start to fall behind. So, we sacrifice the days early in the week to blow piles and pick them up. The trade off is that during these days, the playing surfaces may not be entirely cleaned.

But later in the week, usually Thursday through Sunday, we shift our attention to making sure that the course is clean and playable first. Most of our rounds occur on these days, and especially during the weekend, we are aiming to have the best playing experience possible. Our strategy is to work around the course clearing each surface out into the rough at least far enough that a mildly errant shot can still be found. Then, once the course is clean, we do then shift back to making piles for removal.

It takes weeks and weeks to battle the leaves and we never get every single one. While our process isn’t perfect- leaves tend to interfere with golfers and our staff one way or another- we do at least have a plan of attack.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please don’t stand in one place for an extended period of time to practice putting. Your footprints can be worn into 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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Collar sod replacement

Two and half years ago we replaced our old collar turf  with a new variety. This past week we worked back through several holes to take out spots in the collar that had been contaminated with other species of grass.

Here is a Bermuda grass spot marked for removal.
Looking closely you can see the different color of the
Bermuda grass compared to the bentgrass

The work we did in 2021 was to replace our old collars that consisted of very weak turf- mostly Poa annua and ryegrass- with bentgrass. The previous collars could not handle the heat and stress of the late summer and would decline or die each season. Despite our best efforts, keeping the collars in the condition we expected was not feasible with an inferior turf stand. Bentgrass on the other hand is much more heat and stress tolerant. So, we initiated the project of a full renovation of the collars to a monostand of bentgrass.

A larger spot marked for removal.

Although bentgrass is a vastly improved turf species for this application, it is not bullet-proof. Both Poa annua and bermuda grass will grow their way back into the bentgrass collar. This is something we knew would happen and can’t really be prevented, especially with the amount of bermuda grass that we purposely grow on our property. There are a few ways to manage this contamination of the collars. The small Poa annua spots can be hand picked out, which we did, and will continue to do on a regular basis. For both the Poa annua and the bermuda grass, there are chemical options, but in the case of the bermuda grass, the chemicals are only partially effective. We also are not in favor of more chemicals, the labor required, to obtain less than ideal results. Another option is to remove spots where the Poa or bermuda grass is located and replace it with new grass. While all these options are labor intensive, replacing with new sod is the best answer for our operation.

With all of this in mind, last week we started the process of removing bad spots. Our goal is to complete several holes each fall to stay on top of the problem. We don’t plan on doing every hole each year because we also have lots of projects, leaf cleanup, and regular maintenance to complete at this time of year so we don’t want to be tied up for too long. For this year, we completed the Putting Green, holes 1-5, and part pf #6. We will pick up where we left off starting again next fall and continue until we have completed each hole. Depending on how the process goes, we may have a year gap before we start again, or we may finish just in time to start back at the beginning.

Here the old turf has been removed and new sod is 
being laid down. Notice that we only removed contaminated turf,
not the entire collar.

A section of completed new sod

While it may seem odd that we are replacing grass that is only 2½ years old, being proactive against contamination will help to keep the collars in the best shape possible.

 

Starting in November, we will shift to 1 post per month for the winter. Thank you

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please don’t stand in one place for an extended period of time to practice putting. Your footprints can be worn into 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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Leaves and frost

October is beautiful around the area, and our property is no exception. Leaves are changing color, the turf is rebounding from a long summer season, and the weather is near perfect. So, as we head into the 2^nd week of October, it is time for our annual discussion regarding leaves and frost.

We have not had any frost yet, but the leaves have started to come down. So, our blowers and vacuum will be out in full force for the next several weeks. Here are a few things to keep in mind during this time of year:

•  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 piles 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. We must balance our efforts. So there may be days where there are clearly leaves to be blown, but the Grounds staff is working on other things also.

As for the nuisance that is frost, we are not too far away from our first occurrence of the season. We can promise that we hate frost more than golfers. Nevertheless, we can’t control it and must deal with it also.

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 a busy tee sheet. 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.

The golf course is in terrific shape. Between leaves and frost, Mother Nature tries to spoil the beauty of October and a good course, but we will work through it. With a little patience from everyone, the fall season will go smoothly.

 

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please don’t stand in one place for an extended period of time to practice putting. Your footprints can be worn into 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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Traq Matz

Traffic wear has always been a problem on golf courses. Traffic from carts or walking can thin grass out very easily. Last week we initiated a test of a product designed to help the turf withstand repeated trampling.

Our first step was to lay the mats out in place to
determine the exact area we wanted to protect.

Especially since COVID, the increase in rounds has caused an increase in all types of traffic. Areas that used to withstand a season’s worth of golfers now gets worn out quickly. Areas that were bad when rounds were lower are now getting really thin. Often, rerouting traffic can alleviate the stress for long enough for the turf to recover. But sometimes there is no other route to take- golfers must walk on and off a tee or green in a certain location because of the design of the hole or other obstruction.

Next, we removed the old grass, aerated the area to help
the new sod grow, and then laid the new sod.

We are testing a product known as Traq Matz near 17 back tee. The walkway leading to this tee is a recurring problem because there is only one place to walk due to the pond on one side and a ditch on the other side. Every golfer headed back to the white, blue, or black tees must walk in this same location and the turf takes a beating. So, this particular walkway is a perfect place to test the mats.

This is not a new product, many courses have used this brand or other similar brands for years, but it is new to us. The particular brand we used, Traq Matz, is a rubber mat that is laid down on top of sod. In a few weeks the sod starts to grow through the openings in the mat. Then, as golfers walk across the area being protected, they walk on the very tops of grass blades and the mats, not the crown of the grass plant. The mats take the stress of traffic and keep it away from the turf.

After the new sod was laid, we then laid the mats back
on top of the new sod. The new grass grows up through
the mats but is protected from traffic.

We have several areas around the property, especially at tees, where the mats could prove useful. But we wanted to test it first and 17 tee was a good location. It won’t be a quick conclusion; we must wait for the turf to grow through the mats fully and then survive next season. However, if the results are positive, we could start to tackle one or two bad areas each season.

It is exciting to try a new solution to a problem. We hope that these mats will help us solve the thin grass in high traffic areas around the course.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please don’t stand in one place for an extended period of time to practice putting. Your footprints can be worn into 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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Bench at 16 tee

Sometimes we complete major projects that change and improve the course dramatically, like the master plan construction that renovated every hole. Other times there are very small, nearly inconsequential things that we do that can still make a difference. Recently, it was one of those smaller changes that we accomplished that had been on the list for a very long time.

This was the old location of the bench.

In January 2022, we split the ornamental grasses that dot the hillside along our entrance road. Some of them were large enough that we could quarter them, leaving one quarter in place and having three new plants to move elsewhere. One of those places we put new grasses was at 16 tee.

This was the view from the old bench location.

After a full year in place, the new grasses at 16 tee really started to grow and get large. Large enough that they started to engulf the bench nearby. We saw this happening, but the season just got too busy, as it always does, and we couldn’t move the bench. Finally, last week, we made the necessary adjustments to the flower bed and moved the bench out in front. It wasn’t a master plan type change, but it was still an issue that needed correcting.

This picture shows the relocated bench.

No matter how small the change or how minor the problem, crossing something off our list is still an accomplishment. Getting this bench to a proper location qualifies as small but satisfying.

 

And the proper view of #16 from the spot.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be conscious not to scuff your feet or drag your putter along the surface of the putting green. This can adversely affect other people’s putts and can damage the turf grass.

 

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Granular wetting agent

Like any industry, turf chemical companies are constantly coming out with new products. Sometimes they are novel active ingredients, or more often a combination of two well-known products, and recently lots of organic and much safer products as well. This year we tried one of these new products- a granular wetting agent and it has worked very well for us.

Wetting agents are chemicals that help to reduce or break the surface tension of water at the interface with dry soil. The chemical allows the water to infiltrate and percolate down through the soil. As with anything, there are many, many different wetting agents on the market- some alleviate drought conditions, some actually help move the water through the soil faster so that the soil can dry out; some are liquid, some are like a bar of soap and are mixed with water as you apply it, and some are granular that you can spread like fertilizer.

We use all these different types of wetting agents for a myriad of different reasons. This year we tried a new granular formulation in the rough around the greens to try and keep water available to the turf for longer, allowing it to survive between rain or irrigation cycles. Especially in the rough immediately around a bunker where there is excess bunker sand, the soil can dry out really fast. This year we added this wetting agent to our hand watering program. But we don't just spread the material wherever- we can’t and don’t do this with any pesticide we use on the property. Instead, we strategically map out the areas that need attention.

A picture of the map we use to apply the material.
The shaded areas are where soil can get dry. This
is where we put the granular wetting agent, rather than covering 
the entire green surround.

We see the course every day, over and over through the day. Certain areas of the course behave similarly each season when faced with similar circumstances and we notice and take note of these trends. In this case, we know specific areas around greens and bunkers that are typically the first to dry out and that is where we spread this new granular wetting agent. We have basic maps of the green complexes, and coloring in certain areas on paper, we can outline where to make the application. It isn’t GPS precise, but it is still very accurate for this purpose, and much better than spreading the material everywhere. Once per month starting in May, we applied the wetting agent in these known dry areas and the results were terrific.

This year has been dry- despite the few storms that we have had in mid-September, we are still well behind our average rainfall for the year. Despite the dry conditions, the driest areas around greens and bunkers performed better this year than any year in the past. Can everything be attributed to one single new product? Of course not. We had healthier grass in these areas starting the season, so it was stronger on its own. Nevertheless, combined with our hand watering, this new product maintained plant- available water in the soil and allowed these areas to survive.

Newer isn’t always better. In this case though, we did see an improvement by adding a new tool to our repertoire.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be conscious not to scuff your feet or drag your putter along the surface of the putting green. This can adversely affect other people’s putts and can damage the turf grass.

 

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Bunker repair

We finally received some rain. We have been behind our average rainfall all year, and we still are, but we are closer to normal than before. We totaled 3” of rain in a 36-hour span from Friday afternoon through Sunday morning. That amount of rain can wreak havoc on the bunkers.

The bunkers can handle even medium to heavy rates of rain without too much trouble. The water moves through the sand and enters the internal drains and can escape as fast as it falls. As a result, there are no puddles left in the bunkers even just a short time after the rain stops. When the rain reaches rates like we have seen in the last couple of days, where it is an inch or so per hour in a single storm, then some damage can occur.

The water is flowing fast enough that it erodes the sand from the edges of the bunkers and moves it down into the center of the bunker. Once this sand is gone, if it is still raining, then the next thing to erode is the soil beneath the sand. This compounds the problem because this soil mixes with the sand and that impedes water’s ability to drain through the profile. The finer silt particles fill in the gaps of the larger sand particles and water cannot get through.

The silt laying on top of the sand is 
very obvious in this photo. All of that must be 
removed before the final repair of the bunker can
be completed.

Once the rain stops, in comes the Grounds department for cleanup work. Any debris must be blown out of the bunkers. Then the most important step is to remove the silt layer from on top of the sand. If we don’t remove this layer, it mixes into the sand and eventually reduces the drainage rate of the sand to a point where water will puddle in the bunker indefinitely. After the soil layer is removed, we must replace the sand from where it was originally on the edge of the bunker.

All of this takes time and old-fashioned manpower. Shovels are the best tools, though for some of the worst washouts we do have a machine with a flat blade on the front that can be used to push sand back into its general location. Depending on the severity of the washouts, this process may take a long time- the worst damage can take 7-8 staff members 10-12 hours to repair all the bunkers. That is 80% of our staff, and more than a full day of work just in the bunkers after one storm. We have been lucky this year to not have too many of the worst storms. But in wet years, those storms can come once or twice a week from the middle of July through August. That equals a lot of man hours spent in the bunkers.

Getting the bunkers back in shape after a storm is necessary, but slow. Making sure to do it right is more important than speed so that the bunkers perform for their entire lifespan.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be conscious not to scuff your feet or drag your putter along the surface of the putting green. This can adversely affect other people’s putts and can damage the turf grass.

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

September agronomic practices

As the calendar flips to September, the stress to cool season turf starts to subside (usually; though the first week of September this year will be the hottest week all year!). We also have major chemical applications on the Bermuda grass to help ensure that next season is as good as possible.

Part of the difficulty of managing any turfgrass, but especially Bermuda grass, is that many of the agronomic programs that we implement won’t show results, good or bad, for many months. We execute our plan in the fall, but we don’t know if it worked until at least the following spring, and in the meantime, there is nothing more we can do. We must make observations, take notes, and plan accordingly for our chance to improve that next fall.

One of our first major items currently is a pre-emergent herbicide application. This application prevents weeds from growing in the Bermuda grass while it is dormant all winter. The rule of thumb is to have the application made by Labor Day. We made our spray last Monday and everything went according to plan. We have a couple of other tools to help take care of weeds that grow over the winter, so all is not lost if we do start to see some breakthrough. That is not always the case with some of our Bermuda grass management.

Starting September 1^st, we monitor soil temperatures for our Spring Dead Spot (SDS) applications. You can track some of the evolution in current research and understanding for treatment by reading some of the past blogs here, here, and here. Those blogs illustrate how our program has changed. Regardless, September is the time to start preparing so that we are ready when the soil temperatures are optimal.

But why do we have to be so precise? First, we are always trying to be precise when making any pesticide applications. We have a specific target and chemical and we apply it only where needed. But, with SDS, the chemicals are expensive, and the pathogen is very difficult to control. Missing the window would be an enormous waste. Unfortunately, even if we make our application on time exactly, we don’t know the results for 6-8 more months. There really is no indication of percent control for that long, so we are not able to make a rescue application in the winter to help.

If we spray too early, the fungi have time to rebuild their population and infect the turf. If we spray too late, the infection has already occurred, and chemical is no longer effective. And even if we spray right on time, it has not been shown that 100% control can be achieved, we are working to get as close to 100% as possible only.

All of this makes September a crucial month for the Grounds department. Aside from the best golfing time of the year, it is also an important agronomic time as well.

 

Happy Labor Day

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Please be conscious not to scuff your feet or drag your putter along the surface of the putting green. This can adversely affect other people’s putts and can damage the turf grass.

 

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Strange metal pipe

We have been working on plugging out bad areas of Bermuda grass in the fairways over the entire summer. Last week, while working on this project, we found a piece of metal in #17 fairway.

Our plugging program has been going on for several years. Though slow, it is an effective way to mitigate the Spring Dead Spot infection areas and provide the best surface possible. This year is no different; we have been working on plugging the fairways since June. We cut 2-3 inches down into the fairway to remove the dead grass as well as some of the infected soil and in one particular location on #17 fairway we found the piece of metal only about an inch from the surface.

The location of the metal piece in 17 fairway

After discovering the metal, we excavated a little more around it and were able to pry it free and remove it from the fairway. We packed some fresh soil back into its place and were able to finish the new plug of grass over the top.

What is more interesting though is that we have no idea what this metal object is. It is about 4-inch diameter metal cylinder with 4 plastic tabs attached to the side. The metal piece is about 6 inches tall and about a 1/16” of an inch thick. We found it almost exactly at the 100-yard mark in the center of the fairway. Though our most tenured employee does not know what it was for and has never seen anything else like it on the property, we are guessing that it could have possibly been an old yardage marker. If any members recall anything like this from back when the course was built, we would love to hear from you.

This where the metal pipe was in the ground just after we
loosened it from the soil

It is also amazing that it has taken until now to find this thing. Every year, dating back at least 15 years, we have aerated #17 fairway. Tractors with ¾” tines pound down into the soil. It is remarkable that we never hit or dislodged this piece of metal in all those times across the fairway.

Not only is it remarkable that we didn’t hit this metal with an aerator, but in the several years that we have been plugging Bermuda grass, we never put a fresh plug in exactly this spot. Based on the way that we take out several inches of soil, if we had plugged here, we no doubt would have encountered the metal.

The metal after removal from the fairway

Sometimes it is amazing what you can find in the soil around the property. In this case, we found something we had never seen before right in the middle of a fairway.

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

When parking your cart at a tee or green, please keep all 4 tires on the path. See pictures below for a visual aid:

 

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Soccer work and green surround sod

Last week was our big push for maintenance on the upper soccer field. Aeration, seed, sod, compost, and fertilizer are all accomplished. We also had left over sod from that work, so last week we also sodded a few spots out in the green surrounds.

We usually lay some green surround sod every year at this time, usually with left over sod from soccer. What is significant this year is how little we had to do. With only half a pallet (about 25 pieces), we were able to get to all the worst areas around the golf course. Small sections at 2, 3, 4, 7, 13, 14, and 17 were all completed. While that is a long list, we only needed to do 3-4 pieces of sod at each hole.

We believe that a few factors have led to the improved health of the turf around the greens. First, while it has been dry, it has not been an overly hot summer. We have sprinkled in a few hot days, but not a prolonged heat wave of many days in a row. Anytime the weather is cool, the rough will be better. Second, we have managed the dry conditions by diligently sticking with our hand watering program. Lastly, the significant effort we have made to over-seed the rough around the greens is paying off. We have slowly started to shift the dominant species of turf around the greens to one that is more tolerant of heat, traffic, and drought. We will continue to work on everything that we can control and are optimistic that improvements can continue.

Did we sod out every single little bare area? No, because at a certain point, the bad areas are too small to sod because the sod won’t survive, or the area is a better candidate for another recovery strategy. We will still work to improve the places that didn’t receive sod- first, with seed a little later into the fall, and second, we will have more sod to potentially use when we do bunker renovations or other work later in the year.

We must share resources between the golf course and other areas of the property, including soccer. Most times, it is the golf course sharing with soccer. But in August, soccer gives sod back to the golf course for late summer repairs.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

When parking your cart at a tee or green, please keep all 4 tires on the path. See pictures below for a visual aid:

 

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

Golf Cart tips

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Aeration review

Last week we previewed our upcoming aeration. This week we will recap how the process unfolded.

One of the biggest changes this year from year’s past was our plan for greens. We used bigger tines, but fewer of them, and we applied the sand prior to the aerator doing its work. We tested the plan on the chipping green on July 31^st to get a sense of what the process would look like.

Last week we headed onto the course to try and mimic what we did on the chipping green. The results were terrific. First, as we expected the process was much less labor intensive. We were able to use staff to get mowing done ahead of aerators, drag sand and compost, among other things. This was a huge bonus for having the course ready for play as soon as possible. Aside from using less labor, the result on the putting surface was far better than before. We were able to get much more sand into the holes (which is the idea) all with less disruption to the actual putting green. We didn’t have any extra foot traffic from shoveling, we didn’t have to drag as many times, there was less sand left on the surface which resulted in less abrasion to the grass plant. All of this adds up to a much cleaner, healthier final product. And now, one week later, the healing is incredible. We will be back to regular putting surfaces in less than 10 days.

Aeration of the fairways and tees, and our compost application also went off just as planned. Though we didn’t change this process, it still takes a lot of coordination and execution to go smoothly. Mowers go out first, followed by flagging of sprinklers quickly right behind before the aerators start. The compost spreader comes in just after the aerators. Finally, dragging the compost into the holes and turf canopy.

Our only hiccup for the week- 1.35” rain came Monday night. Although this was ideal for washing the sand into the holes on the front 9 greens, it made everything too wet to aerate the back 9 on Tuesday. We had to suspend our operation, but luckily only for one day. We were able to complete the fairways and greens on Wednesday and tees on Thursday.

Everyone did a great job, and the aeration process went just as we hoped. The changes we made look very promising, and we look forward to fine-tuning for next year.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

When parking your cart at a tee or green, please keep all 4 tires on the path. See pictures below for a visual aid:

 

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

Golf Cart tips

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Aeration preview

Aeration starts today. It is very common to hear the comment “just when the course was getting good, it is time to aerate and ruin it.” Well, we aren’t running the course by aerating, in fact, a large part of why the course looks good is because we aerate.

We are trying a new process this year, though, during aeration of the greens. In the past we have pulled cores- material- out of the greens during this summer aeration using a combination of solid and hollow tines. We would follow that up with a layer of sand and then drag the sand into the holes.

You can see the new brush attachment down low
behind the machine.

This year we are switching up the order, and not removing any material at all. First, we will mow the green ahead of any aeration work. Next will come the sand- prior to making any holes. Over the winter at our national turf conference, we came across a new tool that attaches to our aerating machine and brushes the sand into the holes for you as the operator aerates the green and we bought it to try at Bretton Woods. So, after the sand is applied, the aerator works the green making holes and brushing the sand into them immediately. Finally, we roll the green and cut a new cup and the process is done.

In the foreground is following the aeration and brushing
and the background is prior to the machine. One of our issues
is the sand being a little too wet to fully brush into the holes. 

So why the change? First, this is far less stressful on the turf. Solid tines do not pull on the grass and cause any upheaval, and the process is faster, so we are done before the afternoon heat sets in. Second, it is much less labor intensive. Instead of 6-8 guys working behind the aerator shoveling material into a cart, we can now work on some other aspects of our aeration program.

We tested the process on the chipping green last week and saw positive results. We have a few things still to figure out and a couple of factors that make it difficult for us, but overall, it went smoothly. Healing after summer aeration is always quite fast, and the chipping green is on, or ahead of the normal healing pace. We expect the course greens to be on par with what we have seen from the practice green.

We are also aerating fairways and tees this week. Both of those surfaces will also get solid tines only, and both will get compost as well.

Many courses have been topdressing with sand before aerating for several years, so we are not inventing the process, but after seeing the positive results that those facilities are having, we decided to give it a try. Changing the process after many successful years is hard, but we expect that this could lead to even better results.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

When parking your cart at a tee or green, please keep all 4 tires on the path. See pictures below for a visual aid:

 

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Storm cleanup

Though we are still drier than normal overall, we did receive some rain in the last few days. Unfortunately, one of the storms also came with some intense wind. Cleanup after a storm is always a process and can’t be finished the next day.

We are not far past the anniversary of the derecho that came through the area in 2012. Some of you may remember that storm and the destruction it caused. Luckily, we are nowhere near that messy following the most recent storm, but we still have lots of cleanup to do. There are 3 main aspects that usually require the most attention following a thunderstorm: bunkers, blowing small debris, and tree/limb/stick removal.

The storms are hard on the bunkers for two reasons. First, the heavy rain washes the sand off the edges of the bunker and down into the center. This sand must be shoveled back into its correct location by hand. Second, after the sand moves out of place, the rain then starts to move the underlying soil out of place also. This soil then settles on top of the sand and can lead to contamination. We must scrape the silt off the top of the sand before repairing the bunker. Of course, small debris also collects in the bunkers which must be blown out before raking as well.

The wind that accompanies the storm will strip some leaves off trees and break some small branches out of the tree and blow them across the course. We must use blowers that we can tow behind our maintenance vehicles to blow all this debris off the tees and fairways. We use backpack blowers to clear off the greens and blow out the bunkers. The smallest sticks blow off play surfaces as well, but larger ones need to be moved by hand.

Luckily this large section of tree
fell at just the right angle to miss the
tee sign, bench, and barely graze the trash can. No damage
to any of those items.

Lastly, if the storm is severe enough, we will likely lose a few trees or at least several large limbs as well. These are branches that are too large to blow or move by hand and must be cut before they can be cleaned up. If the trees we lose are too big, or too numerous, we will get help from our tree contractor. So, we spend several days methodically working around the course cutting the larger pieces and picking up the smaller sticks by hand.

The important part to keep in mind is that through all this cleanup, most of our other maintenance tasks continue. We adjust our schedule, especially if the storm came with heavy rain and we can’t mow, and the cleanup does become the highest priority.

We try to get the course back in to playable condition as soon as possible, but it still takes several days. Fortunately, the storm last week was minor, and we should be back in shape in just a few days.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

After filling your divot with sand, either on a tee or fairway, please smooth the sand pile out so our mowers don’t cut through the sand.

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Finishing Bermuda grass sod

We will finish up the Bermuda grass sod this week. It took later into the season than we wanted to get started, but the natural healing of the existing turf allowed for less sod overall.

Once the weather turned in favor of Bermuda grass growth, our existing fairway grass started to heal in many of the weaker areas around the course. While it was hard to look at some of the thin areas for so long, waiting longer can be a benefit in the long run. Turf that recovered naturally and healed in will be stronger and more resilient to stresses through the seasons compared to brand new turf that may or may not have experienced some of those same conditions.

Nevertheless, some sod was necessary. We were able to accomplish all our sodding goals with 10 pallets of sod, or 5,000 square feet. This may seem like a lot of sod but repairing 5,000 square feet out of the 1,960,200 square feet of total Bermuda grass on the property isn’t actually that much. This did not cover every square inch of weak Bermuda grass, nor were we ever going to try to cover everything. Some weak areas will be transitioned to rough next year and some weak areas are healing enough on their own and did not warrant sod. Luckily, the weather is perfect for the new sod. With a little water and a few warm days, new roots are forming in about 3 days. The sod from 1 week ago has already been mowed once and the newest batch will be cut this week.

In no time the new sod will be part of our regular maintenance routine and ready for play.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

After filling your divot with sand, either on a tee or fairway, please smooth the sand pile out so our mowers don’t cut through the sand.

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Bermuda sod and emergency tree work

It was a busy week last week. We started on Bermuda grass sod and had to do some emergency tree work as well.

First, this blog entry may be posted a little later in the day than usual- we are still working through an internet outage in the Grounds department. The recent storm on Friday afternoon knocked power out to the entire property and seems to have fried a couple of components at the shop.

The damaged tree on 17

Funnily enough, the storm didn’t cause too much damage to the course- lots of debris and a few small limbs fell. However, that same morning, well before the storm, a large section of the big pine tree on the left of #17 fairway broke off and fell. After clearing the cart path to at least allow access, we inspected the remainder of the tree and saw that the wound was very deep into the center of the trunk. We felt it was warranted to have our tree contractor inspect the tree for safety and to recommend whether the entire tree needed to be removed. Our contractor strongly recommended the tree be removed for safety reasons because the missing limb had left a scar that reached well past 50 percent through the trunk and the remaining part of the tree was leaning heavily in the direction of the missing limb. Luckily for us, the tree crew had a small job that was nearly finished that same morning and they were able to make it to our property and remove the tree that same day.

Prepped sod location

We were also able to get started on Bermuda grass sod this past week. For lots of the same reasons that our Bermuda grass struggled this spring- very dry, much cooler than normal, cloudy, etc., the sod company’s Bermuda grass struggled also and it delayed delivery of material. But we received 4 pallets last week and were able to repair spots on 1 fairway and 1 approach, 2 approach, 3 approach, 9 approach, 15 approach, 16 approach, and 18 fairway. We have 4 more pallets coming this week and we should wrap up all the remaining worst areas. We will also continue to plug in small pieces in various locations across the course through the rest of the season. And, in a few very specific locations, we will be transitioning the existing Bermuda grass to rough grass in the fall, so we won’t be repairing those places at all.

New sod being installed

One spot completed

The last 3 weeks have finally been a conducive Bermuda grass environment. We will continue to strive to improve everyday and hopefully we don’t have any more random tree work to tackle.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

After filling your divot with sand, either on a tee or fairway, please smooth the sand pile out so our mowers don’t cut through the sand.

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

Golf Cart tips

 

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org