Needle tine season

It is the time of year that we solid tine the greens for summer health and we have been doing it for several years. The last two weeks we have done 1/3 of the course each Monday, and today we finish up the last group.

Continually breaking the surface of the greens is a great way to ensure healthy turf. Oxygen can more easily enter the system; the soil cannot seal off and so water is allowed to penetrate. Our last aeration was back in mid-February, so it is time to poke holes again.

At this time of the year, we are not looking to remove material from the greens with hollow tines. We also do not want to be very disruptive to the surface. So, we opt for ¼” diameter, solid “needle” tines. Solid tines do not pull any material back out when they exit the green; they only make a hole. And the needle tines are so small that, at the surface, the hole is barely noticeable, especially once we run over the green once with a roller. But the channel stays open below the surface and the turf continues to benefit.

This week we will complete the last 6 greens, which will finish one cycle across all the putting greens. We will take the week of July 3^rd off due to the holiday, then start one more round across the greens again the final 3 weeks of July, working on Mondays. At that point we are only two weeks from our scheduled summer aeration and another opportunity to vent the greens.

Not all “aerations” are created equal; we don’t have to cause enormous disruption, remove material, and close the course. Using needle-tines during the season allows us to minimize the footprint but maximize the benefits.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Golf carts must always remain on cart paths once past the green and white posts, through the next tee complex. This is not weather dependent!

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

Full greens stepcut

Sometimes when the greens get very firm, approach shots can land hard, bounce, and then run all the way through to the back of the green. Starting this year, those shots can now stop in the new intermediate cut of rough around the greens.

The new intermediate cut is two
push mower widths. It is the first two passes in the
darker green rough grass.

Prior to this year, the ball rolling into the rough around the greens could sometimes end up in some very thick rough. The result did not always match the quality of the original shot. Though missing the green is still missing the green, a middle ground between green’s height turf and thick rough was warranted.

From this angle it is a little bit easier to see 
the difference in height of cut between the new step cut
and the rough just beyond.

Last year we tested this new addition to our program. The turf handled the adjustment well, and the added job was not too difficult to integrate into our routine. So, this year we took the next step and introduced the new intermediate cut around all 20 greens. We have been mowing this new portion since early spring and so far, the results have been positive. The turf continues to manage being cut shorter and the Grounds staff has done an excellent job of making the new task a part of our weekly to-do list. And golfer feedback has been very positive as well.

The new greens step cut will continue to be part of our mowing schedule. If the turf continues to handle the stress, the intermediate cut will be here to stay.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Golf carts must always remain on cart paths once past the green and white posts, through the next tee complex. This is not weather dependent!

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

It's very dry

How dry has it been? Depending on the source (there are several to choose from) we are somewhere between 7 and 9 inches of rain behind normal for the year. We are certainly seeing the effects of the drought on the course.

Seemingly since January, we have had warm days (relative to the time of year), wind, and low humidity. Couple those factors with the lack of precipitation, and the first half of the year has been very dry. This isn’t the first time our area has been dry, you can read these posts- dry weather, drought- but notice the dates on those past posts- one is from September and the other October. This is the driest, the earliest in the year in quite a long time. This lack of water plays a role in many ways across the course.

First, any grass that is not irrigated has turned dormant brown. Almost all soil moisture has been lost, with no replenishment, and the grass has activated its defense mechanism to survive: turn brown and stop growing. Luckily, with some sustained moisture, most, if not all this turf will bounce back, but it is striking to see, nonetheless.

The lack of moisture has also affected the healing and recovery of the Bermuda grass. Though not as limiting as the cool nights we have had, the lack of moisture has also kept the Bermuda grass from thriving. The Bermuda grass is irrigated, so it has not gone dormant anywhere, but the irrigation is only a supplement to rain, not a replacement. The Bermuda grass will start its summer push once the rain returns, but for now it has definitely been restrained.

Without rain, and using many gallons of irrigation water, the pond level on 17 also begins to drop. Most often we get enough timely rainstorms to recharge the level. But not this season; we have had a few small amounts of rain here and there, but nothing enough to add significant amounts to the pond. So, for the first time in 7 years, we need to rent a pump to add water from the Potomac River to refill our pond. Hopefully, once we fill the pond back up, we will make it the rest of the year without having to pump again.

Lastly, relying for so long on the irrigation system alone is very inefficient. Even a brand-new system will start to form wet and dry areas over a long period of use. However, our system is very old and is showing its age. The irrigation system was put in long before our 2014-2018 renovation, so it does not match the current course. Likewise, when the irrigation system was put in there were different turfgrass species on the tees and fairways. All of this contributes to dry areas even near sprinklers, or areas that are too wet. We have contracted with a consultant to start the process of replacing our irrigation system, but we are several years away from reaping the benefits.

In many ways, being too dry is more manageable than being too wet- we can add more water, but it is very hard (or impossible) to remove excess water. Nevertheless, we would still like some rain.

 

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Golf carts must always remain on cart paths once past the green and white posts, through the next tee complex. This is not weather dependent!

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:

Golf Cart tips

 

See you on the course!

Joe

jvillegas@bwrc.org

Petanque court renovation

One of the very unique aspects of Bretton Woods is the variety of activities offered. Golf, tennis, soccer, are the big three, but our ropes course, miniature golf, and pétanque are not to be overlooked. Often, the pétanque court was overlooked, but we just finished up a renovation.

The pétanque court is located near the playground, adjacent to the clubhouse. Though it has been in this location for many years, it had been neglected and needed an overhaul. Worn out railroad ties formed the border. We replaced those with a solid cinder block foundation and a brick top. The old gravel court surface had been contaminated with soil and weeds. We did work to keep the weeds out, but over time, enough soil was present, and the court was used so little, that weeds inevitably returned. Now, we installed a gravel base layer with a stone dust surface. The stone dust was smoothed and compacted thoroughly. We finished the project by laying sod around the edge where construction had disturbed the existing grass.

Our pétanque court is certainly one of our lesser used amenities. However, after a nice renovation, those who want to try it will have a nice court on which to play.

 

Etiquette Reminder of the Month

Golf carts must always remain on cart paths once past the green and white posts, through the next tee complex. This is not weather dependent!

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