Traffic Patterns and New Sod

This past week we have seen the addition of ropes and stakes along the cart path system in high traffic areas.  We will monitor these areas on a consistent basis and increase and/or relocate ropes as needed.  As we continue to fertilize the golf course to improve plant health and playing conditions additional fertilizer will be applied to high traffic areas.  Also, we have marked new sod with stakes to prevent cart traffic.  If you find your ball has landed in an area of new sod please treat as Ground Under Repair.

Traffic exiting the Fairway at #3 Greenside bunker

Traffic patterns are very visible where golf carts exit the path at #3 Tee.  We will continue to use  rope and stakes to allow turf recovery.

Newly sodded areas have been topdressed to aid in the recovery/smoothness and will be marked as well.  Please avoid these areas on the course and treat as Ground Under Repair.

 

August Aerification Update

Last week’s cultural practices concluded our final closure for Frenchman’s Reserve golf course aerification this year.  Throughout the week we completed several essential steps to promote healthy turf on our Greens, Tees, and Fairways.  Verticutting, Solid Tine Aerification, Core Aerification, and Topdressing with sand were the primary focus during this time. 

Below are pictures from the greens aerification.

Verticutting Greens Process

8” Deep Tine

Core Aerification Process 

After four days of recovery

Over the next 10-14 days we will continue to see the greens recover from the cultural practices last week.  As mowing, rolling, and topdressing continues the greens smoothness will continue to improve.  During this same time we will continue to see recovery of the fairway expansions throughout the golf course as well.  Plant health will be our main priority through September and October. 

Fairway Expansions

Last week we painted white hash marks along the perimeters of the fairways. Much like the greens, the fairways have lost size and contour through the years. We have identified these areas and will expand to the original contours by Arnold Palmer Design. These areas will require 4-6 weeks of recovery.  Additional fertility and frequent mowing will ensure the fairways will look and play as originally designed.

A shot that currently hangs up in the rough on a slope, will roll down the slope and back to a flat surface of the fairway.

These expansions will increase landing areas and align contours to the original design.

Working on the Greens

We have made it through the most difficult time of the year for the Bermuda. Since March we have seen very good recovery on some areas on greens, through sound cultural practices, supplemental irrigation, hand watering, and most importantly mother nature. We seem to have skipped spring and gone directly into almost summer temperatures since mid march, this has been a top factor in the recovery of the weak areas throughout the golf course. Also on Friday April 10th, we sodded out what we as a department felt was the worse areas, back of #1, back of #2, back and front left of #4 and back of #9. #5, #8, & #12 will be addressed Monday.  We will pay extra attention to these areas going through the aerification schedule and also during the summer to ensure that the condition of these areas improve next season.



April 9th we began the process of removing sod on these areas. Pictured is back on #1.

 

Early morning on April 10th we began the process of replacing with healthy Tif-Eagle sod.

 

 

We are expecting this sand to be washed in through the weekend with hand watering and overhead irrigation.

 

As expected the sand has worked into the low areas and turf leaving us with a much nicer appearance.

 

We had to cut sod from the putting green to finish up, we will be replacing this on Monday afternoon.

 

 

Update on Foliar Fertility.

Beginning in November we started to make foliar applications of fertilizer to the fairways and tees. Since that time we have seen a huge benefit in playability and color response on these areas, most notably the fairways. The property is in terrific shape and we are very excited for the Club Championship this weekend.

#8 Fairway maintained at .450 3-24-15

 

Very nice look down at #17 Green. 3-09-15

 

Effects of Winter Weather.

We field a lot of questions about discoloration and recovery of turf during the winter months. The cooler temperatures during the winter make the Bermuda less active across the entire golf course. We are very proactive and use due diligence when we see a cold stretch coming in, we will manage the plant health and tissue as best as possible. Raising of mowing heights, additional fertility application prior to, and use of pigments to keep the canopy of playing surfaces as warm as possible. While day time temperatures have been close to the historical average, we have been well below the average during the nights with temperatures in the mid 40's to lower 50's.

#18 Taken on Dec. 8th just prior to the most recent cold event

#18 Taken on Dec. 14th, after 3 consecutive nights in the 40's, with a noticeable color difference on the fairway and also the putting green 

 

 

For more information on this topic, please follow the link to the USGA Green Section article. Cold Weather Blemishes.

Foliar Fertility

As the temperature continue to cool down we have had to alter our fertility program for the winter months. As soil temperature drops the bermuda become less active, we will be supplementing foliar fertility in with our existing granular program. By definition this is the application of foliar sprays of one or more nutrients to supplement traditional soil applications of fertilizers. There are several advantages to foliar feeding, also known as spoon feeding, such as rapid plant response and low burn potential but some disadvantages include lower rates and increased applications. We currently use this process on the putting surfaces and we are going to be extending this outward on to the tees. We are very excited to see the results as we move forward into this new aspect of our management program.

We recently replaced our old shelves in our pesticide building. All products have been classified and alphabetized.

These are two of the main products we will be applying to all areas of the golf course. 

A foliar fertilizer package being applied to the greens.