Bermuda grass sod

Bermuda grass is always the topic of spring. The greens and rough are usually at their best, but the Bermuda grass is still figuring itself out after the winter. We have written about our work on the Bermuda grass recently, and now another follow up blog discussing the sod work we just completed.

After completing the compost, we finished our last major step of Bermuda grass work last week: sod. Unfortunately, some of the areas are repeat offenders in terms of winter damage. We will be discussing this topic specifically with a regional agronomist this week, and we have a few ideas for improvements to make. But in the short term, these areas still need to be repaired. In total, we ordered 5 pallets of sod, or 2500 square feet. When compared to the 45 acres of Bermuda grass that is managed across the property, this amounts to .1% of the Bermuda grass that needed to be repaired- overall not too bad.

The sod process is very straightforward; we remove the old sod, aerate the area to encourage rooting, spread some compost and incorporate into the native soil, and then lay the new sod. Once the new sod is down, we fertilize and water it. Even though we have been in a stretch of wet weather, we don’t want the new sod to be deprived of anything essential for growth in order to maximize its chances of survival.

After the sod is watered, we will be patient and let it grow for 10-14 days. Once it has rooted down, we will roll and topdress it with sand and prepare it to be mowed like the existing turf. After a few more weeks of slowly working it into our regular mowing schedule, the new grass will be harder and harder to differentiate from the old grass.

Because Bermuda grass is not ideally suited for our region, it can be damaged in the winter. Laying some new sod is part of the spring preparation for the season regardless of the winter weather. We expect to make some repairs, and luckily, this year it was minor.

 

 

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