#18 Bunker

#15

 Rain, Rain

Go Away

 



#2

#1 Washout Repair

#9 Approach

#1 Drainage Project

We are officially in the heart of the "Raining Season".  1.5" last night preceded by 1.25" Sunday night.  That brings the total for the month of June to 11.25". The rain last night came down all at once and left us with quite a mess.  I have included a few pictures showing washed-out bunkers and standing water throughout the golf course. 



We have put our normal Tuesday maintenance on hold to focus on a better presentation for the remainder of the week.  One project left unchanged on the schedule is an additional drainage line being installed on the right green slope of #1.  I am confident that this project will lead to improved playability and healthier turf in this high traffic area.  The previous drainage projects on holes #13, #14 and #15 have eliminated the need for mechanical pumps to remove standing water after a rain event.  We will continue to pinpoint these historically wet areas and correct them throughout the summer. 

Scalping of the Rough

Pull Frame Cutting Unit



 

Why is the Turf Brown?

 

 

The gradual reduction of mowing heights is the main factor in the "off color" appearence.  Another contributing factor is the residual effect of the Curfew application.  The lines left behind by the "slit-injection" will progressively disappear through our maintenance practices. 

 

Going forward we will continue to lower the height of cut gradually. With each successive adjustment we will expirience some scalping.  Scalping exposes the underlying stems which makes the turf appear yellow or brown.  As these areas get acclimated to the new height of cut, new leaf tissue will develop.  This cultural practice reduces grain and improves turf uniformity.  Once we reach our target heights(Roughs .75", Tees .375", Fairways .375" and Collars .375") we will reverse the process and gradually raise the heights through the remainder of the summer.  

Curfew Lines #10 Fairway

Curfew Application

Curfew Application



 Curfew and More...

 

On Wednesday, June 5th, Curfew Soil Fumigant was slit-injected into the Tees, Fairways and Driving Range.  This chemical application is primarily used to control plant parasitic nematodes.  It also effects the population of other soil dwelling pests, such as mole crickets and grubs.  Fortunately, this process can be completed while it is raining.  Tropical Storm Andrea provided a few speed bumps along the way but I am happy with the tasks accomplished this so far this week. 

Below is a few pictures of the material we removed from the greens.  These cores were removed from each green and used to fortify some of our eroding lake banks.  The cores will grow-in quickly and provide increased stability and a cleaner appearance.  This is a great way to re-use our resources.  The remainder of the week, we will focus on clean up and playability. 



Cores removed #12

#4 Lake bank

#3 Lake bank

#5 Lake bank

Verti-cutting

Mechanical Brush

 

 



Greens Aerification

 




Our first round of greens aerification was completed on Monday.  The process starts with verti-cutting the greens in two directions to remove thatch and open the canopy.  This is followed by our mechanical brush that sweeps off the debris.  Next comes the sand, we topdress before aerifying to prevent ruts on a green full of holes.  Our aerifier is equipped with a core collector that pulls the cores off the green as it aerifies.  At this stage the rain becomes a nuisance.  When the layer of topdressing gets wet it moves into the canopy and is very tough to redistribute throughout the green to fill the aerification holes.  A few "tricks of the trade" helped us fill some holes and we will continue to work on the greens for optimum playability.  The picture at the bottom of the page shows the Putting Green with a minimal amount of open holes and an application of fertilizer.  The forecast looks bleak but we are prepared to adapt and overcome.   

Topdressing

Aerifying

Finished product w/fertilizer

Reminder

 

 

 

 

The golf course will be closed next week, June 3-7, for scheduled maintenance.  The itinerary for next week includes our first greens aerification and our annual Curfew treatment.  The greens aerification will consist of 1/2 inch coring tines with the removal of the existing material.  The process is completed with topdressing(new sand) being incorporated into the canopy and profile to dilute the thatch and organic layer.  We will follow the aerification with a fertilizer application to start the healing process. 

 

 

 

Curfew is a soil fumigant that controls Plant Parasitic Nematodes.  Nematodes are microscopic pests that feed on our root system.  The product is "slit injected" into the soil for optimum control.  The tees, fairways, driving range and a few other selected areas will be treated.  It is important to note, this treatment comes with a 24 hour re-entry period.  The Curfew will be applied on Wednesday June 5th.  All traffic is to remain off the the golf course until the morning of June 7th.  Signs will be posted at all entry points. 

 

 

Thank you for your cooperation and we look forward to a productive summer of maintenance leading to improved conditions for the Fall.

 



Let the Summer Fun Begin

 



Triplex Mowers equipped with verti-cutting reels

The conclusion of the Memorial Day Tournament, typically marks the beginning of Summer at Stonebridge.  Our cultural practices will intensify as we move through the coming months.  The above picture shows the mowers used to verti-cut the greens and the picture below depicts the result of this process.  Verti-cutting is done to remove "thatch" and reduce "grain".  Thatch is the dead and decomposing material just below the surface, the build up of thatch produces a "spongy" surface that is ripe for disease, pest and a multitude of other problems.  Grain is the tendency of the turf to grow in a specific direction producing an inconsistent putting surface. 




Lines on #16 green from verti-cutting



Light topdressing #9 greens

 To conclude this process, a light coat of sand(topdressing) is applied to the green which is brushed into the canopy.  This is usually followed by a fertilizer application to speed recovery.

Bunker washout #15

 The picture above shows the result of the storm last passed through yesterday afternoon.  We received over 2 inches of rain in a short period of time resulting in a few washouts in our bunkers and some accumulation around the catch basins.  The sand will be redistributed and ready to play for Wednesday morning.

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Mothers Day!

 

 

 

 

I just wanted to take the time to wish all of our Stonebridge Mothers a Happy Mothers Day.  I have two passions in life, my Family and my Profession.  These two work hand in hand, I still wake up everyday with the goal of making my Mother proud.  She is, and always will be, my Hero.  With that being said, today was a very rewarding day.  I started the day at the course, remedied and averted two potential problems.  From there, I had the pleasure of treating my mother and the rest of my family, to breakfast for our annual Mothers Day celebration.  Next came a return trip to the golf course to check on our newly planted sod and a few of our dry areas throughout the property.  We are in the midst of an extremely dry weather pattern.  Constant monitoring of the greens is imperative to proper playability.  Thank you for your patience as we continue to improve our agronomic and cultural practices for the betterment of Stonebridge.  This summer will bring a lot of changes.  My goal is to use this forum to document and inform on our progression. 

 

 

This is always a special day for my Family.  To all of our Mothers, thank you for the education, dedication and inspiration.