Green Up

The golf course is starting to wake up. The warm temperatures are encouraging the greens and roughs to begin greening up with new growth on hole #1. We had a very productive week. Greens were mowed on Tuesday, Friday and rolled on Wednesday.Two additional crew men were hired this week, a month early due to the warm temperatures and the high play volume. The irrigation sytem was charged up on Monday with only a small leak on #5 left rough. KC Arborist cut the tree line back along the right side of #12 on Tuesday. Poa annua  was cut out out of the first six greens with the goal of removing as much poa as possible by the April 2nd aerification. Greenside bunkers were hand raked on Wednesday and Friday. Greens were sprayed with their first fertilizer feeding of the year. Bluegrass targets and the winter tee were fertilized also.

These two photos show bentgrass and soil plugs from #2 green. The plug on the left came from a sodded area of the green compared to an adjacent non-sodded area. The lighter colored sand that came with the sod is still evident under the new sod. Each year, the layer  gets thinner as we continue to aerify and topdress with our local sand. This foreign sand layer creates a health related issue for the grass as the green heats up each summer and the soil temperatures rise. When the green is stressed, the root system will die back to this foreign sand layer resulting in the grass displaying stress scenarios quicker than the bentgrass growing in the uniform sand mix on the right. Numerous aerifications with sand incorportation are the keys to breaking the layer and minimizing the dieback affect. Roots will grow in the vertical aerification channels that extend through the layer. The aerification scheduled for April 2nd will further disrupt this layer and increase the number of channels thus enhancing the rooting potential and root density. With only one 1/2" or larger core aerification planned per year, minimizing the "sod layer effect" on root dieback usually takes several golf seasons to overcome.  With a successful spring aerificaition, I'm expecting a better growing scenario with all the greens this season.

Spring break is next week and the forecast is for 70's all week! I hope you get a chance to play the course as the signs of new growth bring color back to the course. Experience the magic right before your eyes.

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Getting Ready

The mild temperatures continue as we move into March. Two additional staff members were hired this week a month early as we try to keep the course ready for play. Greens are being mowed two to three times a week and the  dual-cup system is being changed once a week.  Bunkers are touched up during the week with the goal of all the greenside bunkers ready for weekend play.

On April 2nd the greens will be aerified with a 5/8" hollow tine with the soil cores removed and the holes filled with sand. For the last ten years, the three weeks prior the spring aerification, staff members will inspect the greens for poa annua. Depending on the size of poa area, the grass will be removed by knife or a plugger. Bentgrass plugs from the range nursery will be planted where the poa was removed from the greens' surface. Fortunately, the amount of poa is minimal and most of the grass is located in the bent collar where golfers or mowers routinely approach the green.

The blue dots are outlining  small clumps of poa along the outer edge of the bent collar on hole #6. The poa is ready to be removed with a "plugger" and new bentgrass planted in its place.

The irrigation system was recharged on Monday, March 5th. One pump at half throttle took the entire day to slowly fill the irrigation pipes throughout the golf course. On Tuesday morning, only one small leak was found on the perimeter of #5. So far, so good..........  For the next two weeks, the course will be inspected daily for weeping sprinkler heads or any other leaks that may have needed some time to reach the soil surface. Each spring when the irrigation system is recharged, the pipes move a little and expand as the pressure reaches our 140 psi threshold. The system is twenty plus years old so a leak or two is not that uncommon considering all the miles of piping we maintain.