Kinloch Golf Club Golf Course Operations: 2018 Fall Update and Winter Planning

I am certain that most, if not all, turf grass managers within the Mid-Atlantic will be glad to toast the arrival of 2019. 2018 did not provide ideal weather for growing grass 😊 In fact, I'd say that 2018 provided some of the most difficult weather that we have experienced for quite some time. And that fact was true for both, warm and cool season turf.

From a persistently cold spring to a remarkably warm September, temperatures were difficult throughout the season. In addition to difficult temperatures, we saw unprecedented rain. The summary would look like this:

1. An abnormally cold spring persisted well into April causing extended dormancy and a painfully slow green-up.

2. May and June were two of the wettest months in the history of Richmond weather. Literally!!

3. July began seasonably, but then the rain and humidity returned and persisted through August.

4. September was simultaneously, one of the warmest and wettest Septembers on record.

5. Cool nights and a sustained break in humidity did not begin until the second week of October.

I could ramble on for hours regarding the weather of 2018, but the point is this: 2018 presented some of the most difficult challenges that we have ever experienced in this region. From biotic stresses like: summer patch, brown patch, pythium and gray leaf... to abiotic stresses like: scald and wet-wilt, cool-season grass was dealt a difficult growing environment.

For our operation, as of August 1st, we were tentatively pleased with how the turf was handling the summer. But at some point in August, our primary rough and intermediate cuts began to succumb to the stresses listed above. Specifically, summer patch was a major nuisance in our mixed-stand of KBG/TF rough. And that makes perfect sense as summer patch colonizes root systems in the spring and with the excessive rain of May and June, the stage was perfectly set.

As our rough declined throughout the month of August, we began planning our fall aeration and over-seeding operation (s). We began seeding affected rough on August 27th and continued through mid-September. Although we began to see significant germination, the excessive rain and heat of September set off a terrible bout of Gray Leaf Spot (GLS). GLS normally attacks PRG, but in 2018, we saw this disease affect Tall Fescue at historic levels.

* Note: Our fungicide program is well-designed and well-executed. We began spraying for disease preventatively in April and continued tight applications throughout the summer and fall. Unfortunately, if environmental pressure reaches a certain apex, fungicide applications, well-timed or not, become synonymous with band-aids... they provide little relief.*

So, by the third week of September, much of our emerging seed was either crippled with disease or washed from its new home. We had areas that were literally 75% thin that were growing in at 100% coverage that returned to 75% thin... all in a matter of days.

Despite this set-back, we continued seeding throughout the month of October and into mid-November. To combat the colder weather that arrived in mid-October, all of our planted seed was covered in composted soil. Aside from retaining moisture and providing a nutritious growing medium, the composted soil retains heat and acts as a seedling incubator. As October settled in, we began to see tremendous recovery as grass seed germinated in full force. In fact, due to the composted cover, we are still seeing fresh germination as of this post!

There is no question that we have a lot of work left to do, but the golf course looks good and in addition to the continued progress, the golf course is well-positioned for a fantastic spring.

In years like this, there are always ways to learn from your mistakes. And while we will reexamine our plant protective applications, irrigation patterns and other agronomic strategies, the fact remains...Mother Nature will have her way regardless of strategy. Our programs are well-vetted and well-executed, but when turf grass is subjected to certain environmental stresses, our best bet is to mitigate what we can and prepare for the quickest, possible recovery.

Interestingly, our L-93 bent grass putting surfaces had a fantastic season. From spring and throughout the fall, we experienced almost no trouble on our putting surfaces. In fact, our bent grass tees and fairways endured the season in fairly good shape. While we had some isolated turf loss on several fairways (wet-wilt), the bent grass, in general, survived the season better than we might have expected.

Now that our season is winding down, we will turn our focus to the off-season and 2019. This off-season will give us a chance to address:

1. Drainage - Any areas that were noticeably affected by substantial rain will be drained.

2. Basins - All fairway basins that are situated below grade will be raised and leveled.

3. Creek Banks - All eroded creek banks will be repaired, stabilized and sodded.

4. Irrigation - All sprinkler heads will be evaluated for performance and efficiency.

5. Chemical Planning - All applications for 2019 will be forecasted.

6. Tree Work - Wood-lines adjacent to pocketed sites will be thinned.

7. Aeration - As we look ahead to the planned closure of 2019, we have decided to defer greens aeration this coming March. Aside from the 8, actual days of closure, not disrupting our putting surfaces will provide our members with at least 4-5 weeks of excellent play-ability in late March and all of April. We made this decision so that our members will be able to enjoy the longest spring possible. And we are comfortable with this deferment because the greens will not be under the daily pressures of golf activity from July 1st through October 1st. However, we do need to core aerate our fairways, tees and rough. To accomplish this, without closing, we will sequentially aerate each hole throughout the months of January and February. Our plan is to finish all aeration by the end of February and by the middle of March, allow our members to enjoy great conditions until July.

These winter plans are exciting and will continue to make the golf course better. In the mean time, we hope everyone enjoys the Holiday season and we look forward to seeing many of you throughout the final month of fall. And as always, if you ever want a more specific understanding of our operation, feel free to call or email.

Below are some pictures of the golf course that show our progress this fall.