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