Golf Course Maintenance

2012-02-27T10:30:00.001-05:00

Weather is not cooperating with today's scheduled Ronstar application. Ronstar, a pre-emergent for weed control, contains an active ingredient that will burn turf if applied while leaf blades are wet. We will reschedule and let you know the new date of application..

We did get all the fairways mowed out before the rain started today. They will have a chance to dry out before Thursday's cut. Hopefully the rainfall amounts will be in the 1/2 inch range.

We are all looking forward to the member guest tournament this weekend. Looks like the weather is going to clear up and it's going be a great couple of days. We'll be here early and have everything ready for the 9 a.m. shotgun starts.

2/20/12

2012-02-20T18:13:00.001-05:00

Everything is in pretty good shape heading toward member-guest. Even with inconsistent weather patterns the greens have held consistent color without over-seed. We are two weeks away and everything is moving according to schedule.

You'll notice on 8 and nine we took the damaged sod from the front of 12 tee and used it as spigs in some of the bare areas in the rough. Some of this material will be viable and grow, while any that doesn't survive will provide organic matter to these sandy areas and create a better growth environment for the existing grass. These areas will be marked ground under repair for the next few weeks.

9 rough

One of the biggest challenges we face at the moment is damage from cart traffic. In colder months bermuda grass is slow to recover from damage. Consistent cart traffic over the same spots leads to thin and even bare areas. You can help by using the cart paths around tees and greens and looking for less traveled entries into the fairways.

15 fairway entry

Have a great week...

6 tee complex

7 green

8 green

9 fairway

1 green

2012-02-13T15:52:00.000-05:00

The last two days we've seen 32 degrees in the morning. We were delayed about an hour on Sunday. Today we weren't able to get out until 9:00. The following is an article from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America on frost delay's

As winter starts to give way to spring-like temperatures, the desire to hit the golf course intensifies. It also signals a change in golf course management activities that can affect one's game and the conditions found on the course.

In many regions of the country, golfers occasionally face frost delays in the spring, thus pushing back starting tee times. When frost is present golf course superintendents delay play until the frost has melted. This is done to prevent damage that affects the quality of the playing surface and could potentially be very expensive to repair.

Frost is basically frozen dew that has crystallized on the grass, making it hard and brittle. A grass blade is actually 90 percent water, therefore it also freezes. Because of the short mowing height (sometimes as low as 1/8 inch) and fragile nature of the turf, putting greens are most affected by frost. Walking on frost-covered greens causes the plant to break and cell walls to rupture, thereby losing its ability to function normally. When the membrane is broken, much like an egg, it cannot be put back together.

Golfers who ignore frost delays will not see immediate damage. The proof generally comes 48-72 hours later as the plant leaves turn brown and die. The result is a thinning of the putting surface and a weakening of the plant. The greens in turn become more susceptible to disease and weeds. While it may not appear to be much of an issue if a foursome begins play early on frost-covered greens, consider the number of footprints that may occur on any given hole by one person is approximately 60. Multiply that by 18 holes with an average of 200 rounds per day and the result is 216,000 footprints on greens in a day or 6,480,000 in a month.

As golf enthusiasts superintendents do not like to delay play, but they are more concerned about turf damage and the quality if conditions for the golfer. Frost also creates a hardship on a golf facility's staff as all course preparations are put to a halt until thawing occurs. Golf carts can cause considerable damage, therefore personnel cannot maneuver around the course to mow, change cup positions, collect range balls, etc.

One technique employed to reduce possible frost damage is to raise the cutting height of mowers to create a heartier surface. It may also be possible to reroute play to holes where the frost melts more quickly. But regardless of these methods, the best medicine is for all to understand the hows and whys of the delay and in turn gain a greater appreciation for the golf course. It would also be wise to give the course a phone call before heading out to play to see if tee times have been pushed back due to frost.

For more information regarding golf course maintenance and etiquette, contact your local superintendent or the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America at 800/472-7878 or at www.gcsaa.org

#1 8:00 a.m. 2/13/2012

#1 10:00 a.m. 2/13/12

2012-02-06T11:11:00.000-05:00

The work on the drainage structures on 12 and 13 should be completed this week. Both structures have been set and the contractor is working on clean up now.

We punched some holes in the greens today. Not that anyone will notice. The tines we used are 3 millimeter in diameter and leave virtually zero affect to the turf. This aids in ventilating the canopy by allowing oxygen to get into the soil profile.

New Year

2012-01-31T09:35:00.000-05:00

I have been away from the blog for a couple months. I would like to start posting again to keep everyone up to date on any major projects and occurrences on the course. I will make posts on Mondays recapping the week and highlighting anything of interest. I appreciate the emails and support that I have received and looking forward to a great year in 2012.

2011-11-01T08:09:00.000-04:00

Still battling disease pressure on the front nine. Particularly # 3. We've made sequential fungicide applications 10 -14 days apart. The weather, while it's been good for the seed, it's not helping with recovery from the disease. A little sunshine and warm temperatures would help a lot.

2011-10-26T08:25:00.000-04:00

Seeding fairways today. Truck should be here around 10:00 and we should be throwing seed by 11:00. Should be a good day for it.

2011-10-25T06:26:00.000-04:00

We got a lot done yesterday. Prepped the tennis courts, mowed out tee's collars approaches, mowed out fairways, seeded all of the tee's, collars and approaches, greens were topdressed, brushed, fertilized and rolled, pre-emergent applied to 10 - 16, 7 holes of rough cut.

That's a lot of work for 6 guys in a 12 hour day.

2011-10-21T06:16:00.000-04:00

Club Championship starts today at 1 p.m. Should be a great weekend for golf.

2011-10-19T12:26:00.001-04:00

I was out of town for a couple days and getting reports of torrential rain in Orlando. From what I heard I was going to need a boat to get to work. There was 1/10 of an inch in the rain gauge this morning. Couldn't get my feet wet if I tried. So much for the Super Doppler.

Things are moving right along toward tee and fairway over-seed next week. Pre-plant fertilizer is out. We should complete our pre-emergent weed control in the roughs Monday and start putting seed down. All the seed will be out by Friday weather permitting. We added an herbicide to the pre-emergent to knock back some of the existing weeds in the rough. This will tinge the rough in some areas, but it will green back up shortly.

2011-10-11T08:50:00.000-04:00

Slowly getting everything put back together. We took about 10 inches of water over the weekend. Golf course handled it as well as could be expected. The usual holes are wet. Bunkers are put back together. Hoping to get fairway mowers out on the wet holes tomorrow.

2011-10-09T09:13:00.000-04:00

1 green

2 tee

6 bridge

2011-10-09T05:10:00.000-04:00

A little bit of rain over the weekend. Saturday was a total wash-out. The rain gauge at the shop holds 6 inches and it was overflowing when I got here this morning. 80% chance of rain today. I don't think I need to go into course conditions. Obviously it's going to take a couple of dry days to get back to normal. We are going to attempt to get the greens mowed and the cups changed and see what happens.

2011-09-25T11:03:00.000-04:00

I came in a 4:00 this morning to check on rainfall and irrigation and the pumps were running when I got there. I found the problem on #4. A fitting on the main hydraulic feed cracked and the box lost pressure. When that happens each head controlled by that box tries to come on. Fortunately it was on #4 and #5 and wont create any long term problems.

Leak

Aquagator

Broken fitting

Now one question you may have - with the rain we've had, why not just turn of the pumps? When we get rain, we turn of the power to the irrigation boxes, but we do not turn off the pumps. A lot of the pipe and gaskets in the ground have been there for 20 plus years; some of it almost 40 years. Every time the pumps are turned off pressure is taken off of the pipe and gaskets. When we turn the pumps on and bring the pressure back up it stresses pipe and gaskets. 90% of the time we pressure back up we have a leak somewhere. So we try to keep a constant pressure to reduce the amount of stress on the pipe in the ground.

2011-09-24T05:49:00.001-04:00

I have had a couple of questions about the worm castings on a few of the greens. The following is an article about the problems superintendents have with worm castings in the Northwest. Different region, same issue. Our problem is relatively minor and will go away shortly.

Earthworm castings

Grounds Maintenance

By Paul Backman

Earthworm casting on the surface of golf-course fairways rapidly is becoming one of the most challenging management issues for superintendents in the Pacific Northwest and other regions of the United States. I know firsthand that many superintendents are losing sleep over the earthworm-casting issue, and some fear losing their jobs as a result of their inability to control casting. Many golfers, club members, greens committees and board members feel the superintendents aren't doing enough to combat the problem.
Casting occurs when earthworms ingest soil and leaf tissue to extract nutrients, then emerge from their burrows to deposit the fecal matter, or casts, as mounds of soil on the turf surface. Extensive earthworm casting on fairways interferes with proper maintenance practices, the playability of the turfgrass and the overall appearance of the fairways. Affected turf can become thin and the playing surface can soften.
Superintendents urgently need management strategies that discourage earthworm casting and population growth, while at the same time maintain soil quality. At Washington State University and Oregon State University, researchers are working to develop a program that golf-course superintendents can use to reduce casting. The aim is to find methods that will reduce initial earthworm populations to a threshold level where the amount of casting is tolerable and to prevent these populations from returning to excessive levels.
Why is earthworm casting occurring? Earthworm populations can reach several million under golf-course fairways, with millions more in the roughs going unnoticed due to higher mowing heights. Unfortunately for superintendents, the basic cultural practices that produce excellent fairway surfaces also create optimal living conditions for earthworms. Earthworms feed on fairway clippings returned after mowing and on organic matter in the soil. They love the consistent, moist, fertile conditions that typically are present in fairway turf. In other words, earthworm casting is not an indication of a superintendent's inability to grow healthy turf. In fact, the opposite is true.
Populations can reach damaging levels on golf courses for several reasons:
Fairways often are planted on fine-textured soils that receive regular irrigation and nitrogen-fertilizer applications, which provide optimal growing conditions and a continuous food supply for earthworms. *
Earthworm activity is greatest when the soil moisture is near field capacity, which just happens to be the ideal moisture level for healthy turfgrass.
The turfgrass canopy also helps provide favorable temperatures by insulating the soil from extreme weather conditions.
Earthworms cast on the surface for two primary reasons. First, after they ingest organic matter, decaying leaf tissue and mineral soil, they must excrete the leftover material. Second, earthworms live in relatively permanent burrows. When soil fills the burrows (often after heavy rains), earthworms ingest the soil and move it up to the surface to perform "house cleaning." Researchers working with earthworms have estimated that they may bring 20 to 25 tons of soil per acre to the surface each year.
"Who" is responsible for the casting problem? More than 200 species of earthworms with varying behaviors and habitat preferences exist in North America. On Northwest golf courses, the primary species include Lumbricus terrestris, Aporrectodea calignosa and A. longa. Most species do not actually deposit casts on the surface. Many excrete material within the soil profile or not at all. Based on field observations, L. terrestris, familiarly known as the night crawler (see photo, page Golf 1), is the earthworm species causing severe casting damage on golf courses throughout the Pacific Northwest and in many other locations across the United States.
Night crawlers typically build permanent vertical burrows that vary in diameter from about 0.125 to 0.5 inch. In certain situations, these can extend up to 12 feet deep in the soil. However, due to regular irrigation and constant food supplies (clippings and other organic matter) on fairways, night crawlers tend to remain closer to the surface, migrating up and down in the soil with fluctuations in moisture content, soil temperature and atmospheric pressure. Peak earthworm activity and casting occurs during the cooler, wetter weather in the spring and late fall through early winter. Earthworms are generally intolerant of drought and frost conditions; they retreat to the bottom of their burrows during extremes in temperature and soil moisture, returning to the surface when conditions improve.
Night crawlers have long lives, with a reported average life span of 6 to 9 years (up to 20). They breed, on average, once every 2 weeks, producing up to 20 offspring with each cycle. Breeding activity is greatest in the cool, moist conditions of spring and late fall, which also results in increased casting activity as they surface to find a mate. Researchers report that one mature night crawler can produce several hundred offspring in one year. The young night crawlers can grow several inches per year and are sexually mature after the first year. Because fairways provide optimal living conditions, unlimited space and a constant food supply, it is easy to see how earthworm populations and casting can get out of control.
Control options for managing casts Currently, no pesticides are registered for controlling earthworms in the United States, which severely limits the ability of superintendents to manage this highly destructive problem.
At Washington State University (Puyallup, Wash.) and Oregon State University, we initiated a series of short- and long-term field studies in the spring of 1998 designed to reevaluate several cultural practices that other research has shown to be detrimental to earthworm activity in other regions of the world. These studies are evaluating soil-chemistry effects, the effects of clipping removal (alone and in combination with spring, and spring + fall, aerification), and sand topdressing at a rate of 0.625 inch of sand per year (alone and in combination with fertilizer treatments) to determine if sand effectively reduces casting.
Several environmental and cultural factors affect earthworm activity, populations, soil distribution and species. The most critical include an adequate food supply, moisture, temperature, soil texture and pH. Researchers have shown that certain cultural factors alter these critical properties so they are less conducive to earthworm activity.
Many researchers have reported declines in earthworm populations directly related to declining soil pH (increasing acidity). Consistent with this is the fact that earthworms are scarce in soils with a pH of 5.0 or less, and plentiful between 6.5 and 7.0. Thus, ammonium-sulfate fertilizers may be beneficial in this regard by increasing acidity. Similarly, you should avoid using excessive lime.
In the Pacific Northwest, one researcher reported no earthworm activity on plots of creeping bentgrass treated with sulfur. However, it is possible that instead of population reduction, acidity merely shifts species composition to non-casting earthworms that are more tolerant of acid conditions.
Earthworms feed on organic matter in the soil and decaying clippings returned to fairways after mowing, which provide a practically unlimited food supply. In turf, they often pull leaf clippings down into the mouth of the burrow, where the tissue softens for later consumption. The amount of food in the soil and on the surface can influence earthworm populations. One researcher found that nightcrawlers do not burrow deep into the soil profile if adequate food is available near the surface. Other investigators have reported that rates of casting were reduced when clippings were removed. Thus, it is possible that collecting clippings could reduce earthworm populations.
Earthworm populations are highest in light- and medium-textured loam soils. Smaller populations occur in both heavy, poorly drained clay soils and coarse, abrasive, sandy soils. Researchers believe that the susceptibility of such soils to drought and the abrasiveness of sand particles can influence both species composition and overall earthworm numbers in the soil.
One researcher has observed that earthworm populations are low in soils that are compacted, puddled, overgrazed or contain heavy clays. Fairways often are established on heavy soils that are more prone to compaction, which forces Lumbricus terrestris to expel the majority of their castings on the surface instead of in the voids within the soil. This probably is one reason we often see more casting in the clean-up areas on the edges of the fairways.
In my own research, after a full year of evaluating soil acidity, clipping removal and sand topdressing, I have not observed a significant reduction in earthworm casting due to variations in these factors. Some authors have reported that the response to various soil factors is not the same for all earthworm species. From my observations, Lumbricus terrestris is a highly adaptable survivor able to persist in a wide range of soil conditions. Thus, I feel it is probable that the species of earthworms present in many of the research projects I mentioned above were not L. terrestris. In addition, most of the above studies required several years of treatment applications before the earthworm reductions were evident, and in most cases the reductions reported typically were only in the range of 20 to 50 percent.
New strategies for reducing earthworm populations To explore novel methods of reducing earthworm populations, we are working with several earthworm-harvesting companies in Washington and Oregon. A large demand exists around the world for the type of earthworm located under golf-course fairways, primarily for use as fishing bait. This demand makes earthworms a fairly valuable commodity. Currently, harvesting the worms involves bringing them to the surface by applying an irritant to the site and handpicking the earthworms when they emerge from their burrows. Obviously, this process is very labor intensive. Thus, we also are attempting to develop efficient methods for superintendents to bring the worms to the surface and remove them by mechanical or handpicked methods. We have currently assessed a core harvester, several turf vacuums and triplex brush units, but with limited success so far.
In evaluating the short- and long-term effects of physical removal, we have found that it significantly reduces casting in the short term, but it does not completely eliminate casts. A methodical, long-term approach of repeated harvests is necessary to continue to see measurable reductions. For example, an 18-hole country club in western Oregon hired a company to harvest all of their fairways in the spring of 1998. The final removal count over a 4-week period was 2.1 million worms. A second complete harvest in the fall produced about 750,000 additional worms. Although this seems like a lot of worms, this site still needs additional harvests to reduce casting to an acceptable level.
Tolerance and education The issue of earthworm casting is one that surfaces over and over again (no pun intended) in pro shops, clubhouses and board and green-committee meetings. Unfortunately, the issue is usually addressed without a complete understanding of the problem. At the heart of the issue is the quality of turf and how casting affects the type of lie a golfer has on the fairways (see bottom photo, page Golf 4). Fairway casting, when severe, can affect the implementation of summer and winter rules, with earlier winter rules initiated in the fall and a later start on summer rules in the spring. The golfers and club members who prefer to "play the ball down" year round tend to be the most vocal about earthworm casting.
For the record, I am an avid golfer. I understand the frustrations associated with soft fairways and thin turf caused by the soil deposits of casting. In addition, as an assistant superintendent at Everett Golf and Country Club in western Washington, I experienced firsthand the challenges of managing earthworm casting.
However, after studying earthworms for the last year and a half, I have gained a great deal of respect for their ability to adapt, survive and persist, even in less-than-optimal environments. Thus, earthworm casting is an issue that inevitably will require some tolerance on the part of golfers. It is unfortunate and unfair that there are superintendents around the country that face so much pressure over earthworm casting that they fear losing their jobs. After all, earthworms prefer the same conditions required to maintain healthy turfgrass.
I cannot over-emphasize that no products or pesticides are specifically labeled to control earthworms. This severely limits the ability of superintendents to manage this problem. Also, in most (not all) regions of the United States that experience heavy earthworm casting, the most severe casting tends to occur in late fall and winter when the recuperative ability of the turf is minimal. Fortunately, the number of rounds during these months typically is lower.
We must remember that earthworms provide far more benefit than harm to the soil/turf environment. The earthworm's burrowing and feeding activity initiates thatch decomposition, stimulates microbial activity, makes certain plant nutrients more available, increases soil aeration and, in general, improves overall soil quality.
Our research project will continue until we are able to develop an Integrated Management System for reducing casting. This is not an easy task. With time, we should have a better picture of how soil acidity, clipping removal, sand topdressing and other strategies affect earthworm casting after multiple years of treatment applications. We also will continue to look at new, untested strategies for earthworm-casting reduction. In the meantime, we must accept that few chemical options exist for earthworm control, and cultural strategies are not well understood. Golfer education and tolerance of casting are necessary for the time being.
Paul Backman is a research associate in turf management at Washington State University (Puyallup, Wash.).

2011-09-21T13:10:00.000-04:00

Hydraulic tube #4

Couple of updates on the irrigation problems the past couple of days.

#4 and #18 are taken care of. Bad solenoid on 18 we had to elimante that station and pair it with another. #4 had a hydraulic tube leak. About 6 feet from the head.

#12 is a valve issue as discussed previously. The valve is 6 inches from a magnolia tree whose roots have cut of the hydraulic supply to the valve. All the heads are capped, but there is constant pressure and the caps are leaking. We have to dig out the valve and correct the problem. We'll start on that in the morning. Not as simple as it seems if you look at the pictures.

Valve #12

Valve # 12

2011-09-21T08:28:00.000-04:00

Irrigation heads ghost running on #4 and #18 this morning. Hydraulic issue on #4 and bad solenoid on 18. #4 150 yds out and #18 around 130 yds.

2011-09-19T06:30:00.000-04:00

A little bit of rain over the weekend. Having problems with a valve on 12 tee. Biggest problem being we don't know where it is. It's somewhere between the green and the tee and it's not doing its job. Whenever any heads on 12 come on the hydraulic pressure drops just enough to cause the heads on the tee to come on and they run until all the other heads go down. Once we locate the valve taking care of the problem shouldn't be too difficult.

2011-09-15T06:23:00.000-04:00

There were 2 irrigation stations scheduled to run on 17 last night for a total of 12 minutes. Apparently about 20 stations ran for a couple of hours. There is standing water in the fairway around the cart path crossover and left of the green near the cart path. With no rain the past couple of days we've managed to dry out. Then something like this happens and we are back to square one.

2011-09-14T08:28:00.000-04:00

Verticut topdress on the greens Monday.

Nice to see morning temperatures actually dipping into the 60's this morning. Greens surrounds are starting to dry out. We keep making adjustments to irrigation cycles and switching out part circle heads to try to find the sweet spot. Now that the temperatures have come down a little we should get it dialed in. Should be a great fall and winter season for golf.

2011-09-07T06:34:00.000-04:00

Found the electrical issue and replaced two splices from the 80's. Restored power to the holes that were down. Plenty of rain in the forecast. We are trying to get the back nine fairways and the tee's mowed out in front of any heavy stuff.

Labor Day Weekend

2011-09-04T09:15:00.001-04:00

Major irrigation problems over the past few days. Currently we don't have electricity to 7 - 13, and on 17 a hydraulic issue had every head on all night. Troubleshooting and trying to locate problems today.

2011-08-30T09:13:00.000-04:00

Greens are performing as expected. 7 days post aerification. We'll start to gradually take the height of cut back down through the week.
We cleared the drainage ditch to the right of # 1 fairway to help move the groundwater away from the Range and #1 fairway. It has good flow now and should help with drying up #1. Constantly adjusting green side heads to alleviate some of the wet areas around the greens.

2011-08-26T07:21:00.001-04:00

It would appear Irene is going to slide right by without causing any problems for us. Aside from a little rain we should be good to go. All the short grass will be mowed out this morning and should be a rather uneventful weekend. Issues with our rotary mower that cuts the perimeters of the course. It had to go back to Toro for warranty repairs. We'll be a little rough around the edges for a week or so. Should have it back on Monday and start to catch up.

Something liquid was spilled on a couple of greens causing a burn. The biggest of which is on 13. I don't know what or where it came from, but I'll be monitoring the areas over the next couple of days.

2011-08-23T04:53:00.000-04:00

12 hr day to complete the aerification of all 20 greens. 10 through 18 tee's and fairways are done as well.