Update on Ryegrass Project

We have been diligently working on removing the ryegrass from the collars this Fall.  We have dedicated four to five crew members each afternoon to complete this task.  We have replaced about three thousand square feet of contaminated areas with clean bentgrass.  This will be an on-going task for our team each year, but not to this extreme amount.  As we finish this project, we wanted to give everyone a visual of what we have been removing. In the photograph below, the darker blades of grass represent the rye grass that we strive to eradicate, thus enhancing play-ability and aesthetics.

A sod cutter was used to remove large areas and a cup cutter to more precisely remove smaller areas.  In the below picture a sod cutter was used to remove the contaminated area and prepared for new bentgrass.  In the second picture below, the bentgrass was added.  By the Spring season you will not see the seams of the sod when the bentgrass starts to grow more aggressively.

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Now that we are finishing up with removing sod from the par 3 green, we will be replacing the green with new varieties of bentgrass. By doing this, we can stay on the cutting edge of different varieties and decide which is the best for how we manage greens.  Sorry for the disruption, and look forward to seeing you on the course.

Justin Hunt 

Asst. Superintendent 

Late Fall Deep Tine and Vertical Mowing

One of the characteristics that we want to achieve when it comes to fairway maintenance is firm/fast surface conditions. During the spring and fall, these conditions are not overly difficult to provide. During the shoulder seasons, the bent grass doesn't need as much water and the humidity is much lower than say July or August. However, it is our goal to keep the fairways as firm as possible regardless of the season. We cannot control the grass's need for water during the summer, but we can control its access to that water. Grass accesses water through the soil via its root system. If we can help the water infiltrate deeper into the soil and enhance the rooting of the turf, the grass becomes much more drought tolerant during the height of summer. If the grass is more drought tolerant, we can throw less irrigation making the fairway conditions firmer and faster. 

Below, you can see two pictures of our deep tine operation. Deep tine is a form of solid tine aeration where we punch a 3/4" hole, 7-8" into the fairway sub-soil. This hole is large enough and deep enough that it lasts in the soil for a very long time. The pocket or channel that is created allows for plentiful amounts of oxygen and gas exchange. This oxygen and gas exchange encourages advantageous rooting. As we stated above, the deeper the roots, the more accessible the moisture and the less irrigation we are required to use. Also, this fracture makes the fairway surface more permeable so that more rain water is captured within the soil profile as opposed to traditional run-off. 

Aside from deep tining the fairways, we also verti-cut the fairways during the late fall. Thatch accumulation can be problematic from a disease, insect and water infiltration perspective. So, at the end of each season, we remove the thatch through mechanical means. If the fairways have less thatch, they remain firmer and more receptive to water and nutrients.

Our process begins with a double deep tine. Following the deep tine, we verti-cut the fairways and vacuum the clippings. Following a bit of hand work and blowing, we mow the fairways with our baskets attached to remove any miscellaneous debris. 

Once the fairway is mowed, we return for a final blow and the finished product is a fairly undisturbed playing surface.

We are very sensitive to members and the disruption these types of practices can create. We understand that although it is very late in the fall season, people can still find great days to play golf. Having said that, late fall appears to be the best time to accomplish these practices. Member play is much lighter than September - November and the grass is still growing. Because the grass is still growing, we can achieve some advantageous rooting. Waiting until January or February may be too late to see any real benefit from the deep tine holes. Furthermore, we core aerify and top dress during our March aeration so time becomes a major concern. 

At the end of the day, we will continue to be sensitive to disruption on the course. However, we remain confident that practices such as these allow us to have great conditions even when its hot and humid. 

Frost Delays - What's The Big Deal?

As we roll into November, morning frost will become an ongoing annoyance to both our members and our maintenance team. Frost delays deliver a double penalty when it comes to starting times:

1. Our maintenance team is delayed from working on the turf.
2. Our maintenance team needs lead time once work can begin.

So, a 30 minute frost delay, which doesn't allow work to begin until, let's say 8:00, really means a 90 minute frost delay for our golfers. Currently, we begin work at 7:00 and our first tee time is 8:30. This means that we have a 90 minute head start on our first group. At Kinloch, our goal is not just to "get through" set-up, but address every detail in a way that ensures optimum playing conditions for the first group and beyond. So, if we have a baby frost that keeps us off of the turf until 7:30 or so, we can't open the first tee until at least 9:00. If a baby frost is finished by 7:30, golfers arriving for their morning time may not even see the frost as they are invited to immediately hit balls at the practice area. Then they are told, you will have a 30 minute delay this morning. "But wait, I don't even see frost." Although correct, there remains lead time that is necessary for a thorough morning set-up, thus the delay.

So what is the big deal when it comes to frosty turf? Plant cells, like most living organisms, are comprised of mostly water. When the temperatures get cold enough and frost sets up on the grass, plant cells become frozen. If these cells are forced to conform to downward pressure from foot traffic or equipment, the cells ability to absorb the pressure is gone and the cell literally breaks. As the cells break, they lose functionality and die. As the cells die, plant tissue dies and thus you have the dark blue/black coloration of the grass. In certain frosts, plant cells my not actually freeze and plant death will not occur. However, we cannot be certain to which degree the cells are "frosted" and can never take a chance. So, if there is evidenced of frozen dew, we must assume that the plant cells are too rigid for traffic and halt all traffic until that frozen material melts back into normal dew.

From the USGA's Charles White:

"Frost on the grass blades tells us that the water inside the leaves is frozen. Remember that water is the primary component of plant tissue. When this water is frozen, traffic on the turf causes the ice crystals in the cells to puncture through the cell walls, killing the plant tissue. Little damage is done to the crowns (growing points) or roots if only a light frost appears; however, when the frost is heavy, cell disruption may occur at the crown, thus killing the entire plant. Frost damage symptoms include white to light tan leaves where traffic has passed. "

One thing is for certain, we don't want to hold golf up anymore than our members or our professional staff. But, in the months ahead, frost delays will be a reality. We hope this blog helps you to understand "What's the big deal?"

Rye Grass Plug and Sod Project

Throughout the season, the rye-grass intermediate cuts give our grassing schemes an extra pop. From the color and density of the rye, to the break in transition from fairway to primary rough, there is no question that our first cut is one of our defining characteristics. Although rye is a beautiful turf, it is very sensitive to the heat and stress of summer. Accordingly, each fall, we identify injured areas and over-seed our intermediate cuts with a new edition of perennial rye-grass seed. Unfortunately, sometimes that seed finds its way onto our bentgrass collars and germinates. Over time, clumps of rye-grass persist and the collars around the greens can look ragged. 

This fall, we have made it a priority to eradicate any rye-grass found within our collars. There are herbicides that will take the rye out of the bent, but these chemicals can be toxic to the bent-grass. Thus, we have embarked on a plug and sod strategy. 

Using our cup-cutters and sod stripper, our maintenance team will begin moving the misplaced rye-grass to our par 3 green at the practice area. This green was chosen because the underlying soil is consistent with our putting greens and the turf on top is maintained at collar height. Once we have moved all of the rye, we will re-sod the par 3 green to pure bent grass. This strategy allows us to move the rye at our own pace without the pressure of doing all of the collars at one time. Although the plugging work near the greens can be a nuisance, we promise to be as quick and efficient as possible. Once the work is completed this fall, our collars will be pure bent and not have the clumps of rye that stand out throughout the season. Thanks in advance for your patience as we eradicate the unwanted rye. In the end, we know that our rye-grass intermediates are important to the conditions and play-ability of Kinloch.... so long as the rye isn't growing in the wrong place.