Golf Course Report

July 2018

               

We are On Deck for another round of cultural practices that are aimed at improving the turf conditions throughout the golf course.  On July 17^th we will close down the course for 11 days and employ our most aggressive aerification and verti-cutting scheduled for the summer.  This will all be followed by a heavy dose of topdressing on all of our short grass playing surfaces.              We will begin this closure with another DryJect application to the greens.  This is one of the most effective ways to instantly alter the soil profile.  Dilution of built up Organic Matter is paramount to the long term health of any putting surface.  Following this process, a core aerification will take place with much larger tines than our previous closure.  Removing compressed soil and replacing it with a fresh channel of sand will improve the porosity of the soil, giving the roots a place to thrive. 

As intense as we are about creating and perfecting our greens program, we are also stepping up our approach to tee and fairway management.  This year we are attempting to triple our topdressing efforts on the tees and fairways.  We will also double our aerification totals as part of this plan.  All of these practices, coupled with a quality verti-cutting program, will produce a playing surface that will be more resilient to the rigors of environmental stresses and withstand the heavy traffic of the winter months. 

There are a couple of extra projects that will also take place during this closure.  We will be removing the asphalt on #11 and the transition from #13 to #14 and replacing it with concrete.  This should provide a more seamless, safer and comfortable ride through this area of the golf course.  The second project is a bit more invasive.  We will be stripping the collars around the greens to improve surface drainage.  Years of consistent topdressing tend to build up the collars surrounding the greens.  This creates a “damming” effect.  These dams prevent water from running off the green.  Too much water results in anaerobic soils.  If the soils have no air, the roots have no chance.  In an effort to correct our few remaining imperfections, we will remove the top layer around the greens and allow the regrowth from the residual stolons and rhizomes.  This process is quite aggressive and will take some time to recover.  We thank you for your patience and understanding.  When it comes to the rules of golf, I will defer to Erik.  I am assuming they will be treated as Ground under Repair until they are completely healed.  A good friend of mine wrote an article for the USGA Section Record addressing this issue.  Stuart Bothe, GCS at Vanderbilt Country Club has led this initiative and I am happy to have him as a sounding board.  I fully believe that this is one of the practices that we have been missing.  The first go around will not be the cure, but an annual program will eliminate those pesky weak areas around the edges of certain greens.  One more step in attaining perfection.  I do have plenty of progression pictures and a copy of the USGA article, but I am a farmer not an IT whiz.  I have tried to copy/paste and nothing would stick.  If there is a concerted interest in the project, I can certainly forward the information via e-mail. 

We are certainly enjoying a proper Summer time weather pattern.  High heat, high humidity and afternoon thunderstorms.  Our Bermuda grass is thriving, which means we can beat it up even more to prepare it for Season.  As we lower the height of cut on the tees, fairways and rough; we will be encouraging more prostrate growth.  We have a grand plan to be the best for all our members; the tricky part is to maintain excellence while tearing into the necessities of the summer.

If you have any questions or concerns, regarding anything happening on the property, please feel free to contact me. 

Following this closure, we will be attcking our “Re-planting initiave” throughout the golf course and Common areas.  No rest for the weary!