Mid-Summer Update

August 4th marks the 45th day of summer which means that as I write this update on August 5th, we are on the downhill side of summer. Of course, as I write this, it is 93 degrees and fairly humid so it certainly doesn't feel like fall weather is upon us. Aside from the illusion that plant stresses are fading away, the middle of summer does provide the opportunity for a golf course update.

I. Putting Surfaces - As of now, the putting surfaces are in solid condition. (knock on wood) We have good density and performance has been acceptable. We will continue to keep the greens as dry and lean as possible so that they can withstand the stresses related to heat, humidity and compaction. Since the 1st of May, we have rolled the greens on a daily basis and are pleased that they have withstood the traffic. Once fall weather truly returns, we will begin programs aimed at conditioning the texture of the turf. We must continue to promote more upright growth, thinner leaf blades and a firm surface. All of these things not only contribute to long-term plant health, but allow for great putting performance on a daily basis.

II. Tee Boxes - Similar to the greens, the tee boxes are holding up fairly well. We do have some stressed turf on 2 or 3 tee boxes, but by and large, the tees remain dense and tight. The challenge with the tees is moisture management. Because our tees are built on a sand profile, their receptivity to saturation is fairly high. Although the easy answer would be to limit the irrigation on the tees, the issue is a bit more complicated because the sprinkler heads that water the tees also water the surrounding roughs. We cannot allow the roughs to get too dry or we will begin losing turf to drought stress. So, we water the tees in a way to balance the needs of both the bent grass surfaces and the surrounding fescue/blue-grass.

III. Fairways and Approaches - The fairways and approaches are in excellent condition for early August. Density and play-ability remain very good and although fairly firm, we have had very little turf loss due to wilting. Our hand-watering crews have been outstanding this summer and their efforts have allowed us to forego large quantities of over-head irrigation while maintaining plant health. We do have some patchy wilt damage on a few fairways, but overall, our playing surfaces are in great shape. (knock on wood again)

IV. Roughs - There is no question that our roughs have been and continue to be our biggest challenge through this point of the summer. On a scale of 1-10, I might give us a 6.5-7 on the condition of our roughs. Between disease (brown patch and summer patch), drought and insect damage (BTA Grubs), we are battling our roughs. We irrigate the roughs as much as we can and we are constantly spraying pesticides to deal with the various issues. Most of the damage in our roughs will heal on its own as better weather moves in. For the areas that do not recover, we will be over-seeding selected areas during our fall aeration. (Aug 17-26) Either way, we expect that our roughs will be in excellent condition by the 2nd week of September.

V. Intermediate Cuts - Similar to the roughs, our intermediate cuts have been challenging this summer. Although I remain a fan of the perennial Rye-grass due to its color, texture and density, there is no question that it is one of the weakest cool season grasses for our climate. Having said that, this fall, we will be inter-seeding tall fescue and blue-grass into our intermediates. We will do this seeding in late August and after a month or so of germination, will come back with another dose of perennial rye-grass seed. The concept is to have all 3 grasses growing in these areas and that over-time, this blend will give us a balance between aesthetics and plant health. The rye is just too good for 9 months out of the year to go in a different direction. However, our goal will be to create a hybrid stand of grasses that give us color, definition and more sustainability in late June - early September.

VI. Summary - I am always hesitant to be happy with our performance. Things can change in a matter of days so I prefer to remain focused on what we could do to get better. Having said that, the golf course is handling the summer well and if we can maintain our current conditions, I do believe that we are in a great position for a spectacular fall.

Hand Watering Season is Here

"You can't come back from wet, you can come back from dry, but not wet." A very good agronomist and trusted consultant, Joel Simmons, gave me this advice last fall. Not only do I believe in this principle, but I think it may be the most important principle with respect to managing low-cut bent-grass through hot/humid conditions.

USGA greens are built on sand so that the green will: (1) drain well; (2) resist compaction and (3) provide a nice balance between air and water porosity. In other words, USGA greens are designed o hold just enough water to achieve field capacity, but not enough water to remain saturated for extended periods.

Saturated soil adversely affects grass by increasing heat retention, reducing gas exchange and most importantly, by minimizing the amount of oxygen that otherwise may reside in the pore space of the profile.

Heat retention occurs because water is denser than air so when it heats up, it stays hotter longer. When wet soil stays hot for an extended period of time, scald occurs. In putting greens, you typically do not see the scald damage at the canopy/crown level because infiltration rates help water get past the surface. However, in profiles that hold moisture, or in areas of greens that remain wet (low-lying areas), the scald occurs within the root-zone. Once the roots go, the leafy tissue above ground is sure to follow suit.

Although scald is a major concern, the deprivation of oxygen may be tantamount to a green's failure/survival during hot/humid stretches of the summer. Oxygen assists the plant in metabolizing food. For example, in the absence of oxygen, the plant struggles to trans-locate magnesium. As an essential component of chlorophyll, the reduction in usable magnesium leads to a decrease in photosynthesis which in turn results in a reduction of structural carbohydrates. Without carbohydrates, the plant can't build parts and decline ensues.

So, between heat retention and the deprivation of oxygen, water management becomes extremely important to the success of bent grass putting greens. Although, irrigation systems have become even more sophisticated, they remain fairly indiscriminate in terms of where water is or is not applied. For example, say that I have a green that stays very dry on the front crown, but very wet in a low-lying swale. Over-head irrigation may be ideal for the dry crown area, but may lead to over-saturation in the back of the green. Going back to the opening quote, "we can always come back from dry." In other words, in this situation, we choose to manage the green with daily hand-watering so that the crown stays hydrated while the low-lying area can dry down properly. In this way, we micro-manage the surface so that no area stays too wet.

This management style is widely adopted by the turf industry and although strides have been made in areas like wetting agents, irrigation control, fans and sub-air, I am not sure we will ever see the day that hand-watering is not an integral part of any successful turf management program.

Typically, we spend the morning checking the moisture levels of the greens. We have established thresholds and if the moisture is below those thresholds, we water those specific areas. We prefer the morning hours because the heat of the day isn't on top of us and by mid-afternoon, the applied water has had a chance to drain off. In the afternoon, we check the greens for active wilt and apply water where obvious wilt symptoms are occurring.

The last sentence brings us to the main point of this post. We recognize that employees hand-watering in the middle of the day can be a nuisance. As such, we try very hard to stay out of the way, work in backwards rotations and appreciate the golf experience of every member and guest. However, to maintain the greens as dry as possible, in an attempt to enhance play ability and  practice good agronomy, we must hand water throughout the day. It is a necessary evil for the summer months.

Bermuda Grass Suppression

Over the next few months, we will be actively spraying common Bermuda Grass that has moved into our desired turf areas. We have common Bermuda infestations in almost every playing surface (fairways, roughs and intermediates) with the exception of our tees and greens. Although these infestations are sporadic and not terribly bad at this point, we must maintain a vigilant herbicide program to not only keep the Bermuda in check, but also to achieve complete eradication.

Up until a few years ago, there were not many herbicide alternatives for Bermuda control in cool-season grasses. Fortunately, a herbicide called Pylex hit the market about 4 years ago. Pylex, which interferes with photosynthesis by disrupting chlorophyll production, will suppress and eventually kill Bermuda that is growing in cool season grass. The rates are extraordinarily low.... for example, in bent grass areas, we are applying Pylex at .5 ounces per acre. That is 1/2 of an ounce over 40,000+ square feet of grass. Nonetheless, this product works very well with minimal downside. The only downside is the aesthetic color of the suppressed Bermuda and surrounding bent.

As you can see in the picture above, because Pylex disrupts chlorophyll, the plant turns white once sprayed. Many times, you cannot even see the Bermuda until we have sprayed it and once the white blotches begin appearing in areas across the property, many members may wonder, "What is going on?"

We can mix another broad leaf herbicide, Turflon, with the Pylex to reduce the whitening. However, half of the battle is to accurately locate the Bermuda infestations, so on our first application, I leave the Turflon out so that the Bermuda is easily located for additional applications.

So, if you begin to notice any white patches across the property, please know that it is our Bermuda grass program kicking off for 2015.

Spring Project Update

We have had a really nice spring thus far as the grass is waking up and aeration recovery accelerates. We have also returned to our regular maintenance practices, including: mowing, edging, rolling and mulching. In conjunction with our seasonal routine, we have also been busy wrapping up various projects across the golf course.


#11 creek was re-shaped, rocked and grassed to tall fescue on the green's side and fine fescue on the opposite side. The fine fescue has been installed since this photo was taken.

An over-grown native area to the front right of the 3rd tee complex was reclaimed and re-grassed to fine fescue. 

A 007, bent-grass tee was installed adjacent to the firepit. 

The hillside to the left of the 6th fairway was reclaimed and grassed to fine fescue. 

A 007, bent-grass tee was re-installed along the dam. Golfers now have a 185 yard tee shot across the pond to the 19th green.  

The native area to the left of the 15th fairway was re-installed to fine fescues. 

The pond edge near the third green was stripped and re-grassed to low-mow bluegrass. We did this project to remove the bent-grass contamination, but also to enhance the pond view from the landing areas and putting surface. The bluegrass has been installed since this photo was taken. 

The tree-line to the left rear of the 4th green was set-back 25 yards to increase sunlight and airflow to the putting surface. In place of the existing tree-line, we installed fine fescues. 

The ninth approach was expanded to the right and rear of the green. We installed 007, bent-grass for this project. 

The landscape area between the second green and third tee was upgraded and a paved walking path was installed. 

We have one last project on the 10th hole and we will re-post upon its completion. I am very proud of our staff for knocking these projects out while also maintaining the course for daily play. I am also thankful for the club support and member patience as we work our way through these improvements.