We have had another busy stretch of work. The weather cooperated perfectly to complete our deep tine aeration as well as complete some sod work on the collars.
It may seem late in the season to be performing an
aggressive aerification of the turf, but this is a critical practice for the
health of the greens. Just as the name implies, deep tine aeration penetrates
much deeper into the soil profile than the other aeration events that we
perform. Reaching down 5-7” inches, this aeration is perfect for heading into
winter. Plant growth is just strong enough to send roots down these deep
channels. Strong deep roots grown now, will only help during the stress of the
summer. Also, the depth of the aeration creates a place for water to drain down
through the profile. Water from rain or melting snow will have an avenue to
escape the surface, which will keep the surface from staying saturated for too
long. Not only is this better for winter time golf, it is also much better for
the plant.
We were also able to complete some collar sod work on holes
6-13 and the chipping green. 3 years ago we renovated all of the collars
on the entire course. The old collars were not a consistent type of turf
and struggled mightily in the heat of the summer. The new collars perform much
better, but Bermuda grass especially still encroaches. This is the goal of
these smaller sod projects that we have done the last two years: punching out
spots of Bermuda grass and redefining the collars, especially across the front
where the collar meets the approach. Last
year we finished the putting green and holes 1-5, and so we picked up from
there this year. The goal will be to finish next year and likely start back
over at that point. This will be an ongoing program that we will stick to.
Both the green aeration and the sod work have been virtually uninterrupted by weather concerns. These were important steps to complete before heading into winter and everything went very smoothly.
Etiquette Reminder of the Month
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
See you on the course!
Joe
jvillegas@bwrc.org
