With warmer temperatures, wet conditions and high humidity, different disease organisms become active and potentially destructive. If left uncontrolled, they would damage all short cut turfgrass before too long, rendering our golf course unsuitable for the game of golf.
Greens were sprayed twice on Friday, June 27th. In the morning, greens received these ten chemical materials:
1. A combination of two different fungicides. These materials were applied to prevent the disease anthracnose. Combinations of two or three different materials are always used to combat this Northeast disease. Like a boxer who uses two different punches, such as a body shot and a jab to topple his opponent, we are doing the same by using chemicals with different modes of action in the same application. Thanks to Dr. Bruce Clarke at Rutgers University whose tireless research has provided control strategies for Superintendents on anthracnose. If you would like to learn more about anthracnose, I have attached a Golf Course Superintendents Association of New England Newsletter that begins with a 2007 report from Dr. Clarke and associates. This can be found in the "links" section.
2. A growth regulator was applied to slow turfgrass growth on greens. While growth is slowed, plants use less water and provide superior putting surfaces in speed and smoothness.
3. A low dose insecticide was added to prevent damage from hyperodes weevil's second generation of the year. Larvae (small grubs) of hyperodes have caused problems at NE courses this year. To date, we are free of this pest that consumes turf stems, crowns and roots, and plan to stay that way!! This material also controls damaging cutworm, so we are getting broad spectrum control with this one application.
4. Six different high tech greens soluble fertilizers were mixed and applied in the morning application. Greens may take on a darker green appearance for the next week or so, and this healthy look can be attributed to these products supplied by Floratine and Rootex. Healthy plants withstand stress and provide the highest quality and most reliable putting surfaces.
This first application was allowed to sit undisturbed on plants all day, because leaves were absorbing these materials into cells where they will be utilized and
transported by the plants.
At close to 7:00 PM, we began the evening application.
First, a different fungicide "ProStar" was applied that works on soil borne disease Fairy Ring. This was used to eliminate the small and large dark green circular patches present on a few greens. Fairy ring damages greens, especially at later stages of disease development, and is quite difficult and expensive to control. This was the second treatment this month to eliminate Fairy Ring. I believe these patches will take a week or two to finally disappear.
Because this fungicide works in soil, we added a wetting agent material to the application. The wetting agent will help move the ProStar fungicide where the pathogen resides....into the soil. To assist the movement of the fungicide, we ran ten minutes of irrigation on each green, split into two five minute cycles.
Please feel free to email questions, or stop me to ask, anytime!!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Help!!!!
We have begun to fill holes and voids in rough areas with soil and seed. Between irrigation cycles and the wet summer, we are seeing some early germination success!! We do, however, need your help on this project.
Seeded areas are being flagged off with small colored flags. Please help us by staying off these areas with both golf carts and foot traffic. Together, we can and will continue Potowomut's improvement.
These flagged areas will be painted and maintained as ground under repair.
As long as we are asking for favors, we also need help on greens. During July and August, we rely on more irrigation cycles to keep them alive. Increased irrigation can lead to ballmarks....and this is where we seek your help. Please help your golf course by taking the time to properly repair your ballmark plus one other. Pinch the turf toward the center of the ballmark, and smooth with your putter.
One more request....have a great summer and play well!!!
Seeded areas are being flagged off with small colored flags. Please help us by staying off these areas with both golf carts and foot traffic. Together, we can and will continue Potowomut's improvement.
These flagged areas will be painted and maintained as ground under repair.
As long as we are asking for favors, we also need help on greens. During July and August, we rely on more irrigation cycles to keep them alive. Increased irrigation can lead to ballmarks....and this is where we seek your help. Please help your golf course by taking the time to properly repair your ballmark plus one other. Pinch the turf toward the center of the ballmark, and smooth with your putter.
One more request....have a great summer and play well!!!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Update
This week, we are working on a few projects.
1. Bunker edging has begun, and will be completed by the end of the week. Edging is done to contain lateral grass growth from the bunkers, and to give them a nice clean look. As part of this process, we are also re-distributing sand back to bunker bankings and higher areas caused by water erosion.
2. I am sure you have noticed the two drainage pipes that we have dug up and exposed. Drainage water was found gushing from the ground Sunday behind the 2nd green, and was spilling onto the green. The pipe here begins at the clubhouse entrance as it drains parking lot water under the clubhouse and into the pond on #2. During construction of this pipe, two old clay pipes met, and the mechanism that joined the pipes together crumbled. It appears this was repaired in the past, but the repair was done with a tar roofing material and failed again.
On #12, a dangerous sinkhole has been evident for months. The pipe here carries water from the small pond under the approach, to an outlet left of the cartpath. Since the pond is at the lowest elevation in this, the wettest area of the golf course, it provides an important drainage function. Sure enough, we found the old clay pipe had failed, as a four foot section collapsed, causing pond overflow water to divert around the pipe. Thus, the sinkhole formed. We expect repairing this pipe will provide drier conditions on the 12th approach.
Both pipes will be properly repaired within the next few days.
3. We installed a garden designed to supply habitat for butterflies near the 14th teeing areas. Plants Mac installed will provide food, water, shelter and places for egg laying and plants for young larvae to feed on. A butterfly house is on order and will be installed next week. A few monarchs have already found the garden. We are excited about watching the garden mature hope to attract butterflies in future years!!
Enjoy our wonderful Rhode Island summer!!!!
1. Bunker edging has begun, and will be completed by the end of the week. Edging is done to contain lateral grass growth from the bunkers, and to give them a nice clean look. As part of this process, we are also re-distributing sand back to bunker bankings and higher areas caused by water erosion.
2. I am sure you have noticed the two drainage pipes that we have dug up and exposed. Drainage water was found gushing from the ground Sunday behind the 2nd green, and was spilling onto the green. The pipe here begins at the clubhouse entrance as it drains parking lot water under the clubhouse and into the pond on #2. During construction of this pipe, two old clay pipes met, and the mechanism that joined the pipes together crumbled. It appears this was repaired in the past, but the repair was done with a tar roofing material and failed again.
On #12, a dangerous sinkhole has been evident for months. The pipe here carries water from the small pond under the approach, to an outlet left of the cartpath. Since the pond is at the lowest elevation in this, the wettest area of the golf course, it provides an important drainage function. Sure enough, we found the old clay pipe had failed, as a four foot section collapsed, causing pond overflow water to divert around the pipe. Thus, the sinkhole formed. We expect repairing this pipe will provide drier conditions on the 12th approach.
Both pipes will be properly repaired within the next few days.
3. We installed a garden designed to supply habitat for butterflies near the 14th teeing areas. Plants Mac installed will provide food, water, shelter and places for egg laying and plants for young larvae to feed on. A butterfly house is on order and will be installed next week. A few monarchs have already found the garden. We are excited about watching the garden mature hope to attract butterflies in future years!!
Enjoy our wonderful Rhode Island summer!!!!
Monday, June 9, 2008
The Heat Is On
Late spring heat is here!!
Just like you and I, turfgrass cools itself by sweating water, but through pores on leaves instead of pores on skin. Turfgrass roots pull water from soil, cooling itself in a process called evapotranspiration. During many warm summer days, soil water can become depleted, causing plants to wilt. If turf wilts for enough time, death of the plant(s) may occur.
On the days plants on greens cannot find water it needs to cool itself, our staff takes over and cools the turf using hoses. When you see us pulling those heavy lengths of 100' hose, our sole purpose is to lower the canopy temperature. Like an athlete, the greens perform better after this cooling, or "syringing" process.
On tees and fairways, we may run sprinkler heads to spin once or twice, again to cool the turf.
Why don't we simply turn on sprinkler heads to greens to apply this cooling water? Each green has many different microclimates, and each has different needs for water. The perimeters of greens where greens were expanded a few years ago need more water than the centers of the greens. Also, wilting areas of greens need a bit more water to promote healing. The greens communicate to us what they need as we apply cooling water. If we applied overhead irrigation water afternoons to greens, ultimately areas of greens would get too wet, an unacceptable and unhealthy surface for golf turf.
As a part of your membership dues, staff is trained to cool anyone who asks!!
Stay cool!!
Just like you and I, turfgrass cools itself by sweating water, but through pores on leaves instead of pores on skin. Turfgrass roots pull water from soil, cooling itself in a process called evapotranspiration. During many warm summer days, soil water can become depleted, causing plants to wilt. If turf wilts for enough time, death of the plant(s) may occur.
On the days plants on greens cannot find water it needs to cool itself, our staff takes over and cools the turf using hoses. When you see us pulling those heavy lengths of 100' hose, our sole purpose is to lower the canopy temperature. Like an athlete, the greens perform better after this cooling, or "syringing" process.
On tees and fairways, we may run sprinkler heads to spin once or twice, again to cool the turf.
Why don't we simply turn on sprinkler heads to greens to apply this cooling water? Each green has many different microclimates, and each has different needs for water. The perimeters of greens where greens were expanded a few years ago need more water than the centers of the greens. Also, wilting areas of greens need a bit more water to promote healing. The greens communicate to us what they need as we apply cooling water. If we applied overhead irrigation water afternoons to greens, ultimately areas of greens would get too wet, an unacceptable and unhealthy surface for golf turf.
As a part of your membership dues, staff is trained to cool anyone who asks!!
Stay cool!!
Thursday, June 5, 2008
The Rough Is Rough
The good news......
As detailed in our Spring 2008 Newsletter, our rough needs work and programs are in place to address problems. We applied 28 tons of lime and a spring fertilizer to roughs. Additionally, all bunker and greenside bankings received an additional application with an expensive silicone and micronutrient based fertilizer.
Soil pH levels in the roughs are rising that will allow more efficient uptake of nutrients by turf plants from healthier soils. These programs will be repeated twice per year to continue to thicken rough and to eliminate thin and bare spots.
And now for the bad news.....
This year's cooler temperatures and timely rains have produced a deep and thick rough to many areas of the golf course. Many players have expressed some level of frustration attempting to extricate their Titleists, Callaways and Top Flights during the last few weeks.
I do expect these conditions will ease as the heat of summer arrives during the next few weeks.
Please remember however, that your playing partners and opponents all play the same golf course.....and also remember one of the first rules written about golf, to "play the golf course as you find it." We are mowing as fast as we can!!
Peace!!
As detailed in our Spring 2008 Newsletter, our rough needs work and programs are in place to address problems. We applied 28 tons of lime and a spring fertilizer to roughs. Additionally, all bunker and greenside bankings received an additional application with an expensive silicone and micronutrient based fertilizer.
Soil pH levels in the roughs are rising that will allow more efficient uptake of nutrients by turf plants from healthier soils. These programs will be repeated twice per year to continue to thicken rough and to eliminate thin and bare spots.
And now for the bad news.....
This year's cooler temperatures and timely rains have produced a deep and thick rough to many areas of the golf course. Many players have expressed some level of frustration attempting to extricate their Titleists, Callaways and Top Flights during the last few weeks.
I do expect these conditions will ease as the heat of summer arrives during the next few weeks.
Please remember however, that your playing partners and opponents all play the same golf course.....and also remember one of the first rules written about golf, to "play the golf course as you find it." We are mowing as fast as we can!!
Peace!!
Birdhouses
We installed four bluebird houses early this spring. As of this writing, we have yet to entice any bluebirds to these new accommodations. Bluebirds are a nearly endangered species whose numbers are steadily climbing during recent years due to nest box projects such as ours. For more information, please visit: http://www.auduboninternational.org/programs/acss/golf.htm
Instead of bluebirds, we do have a mating pair of Tree Swallows in the boxes left of the 5th hole.
Tree swallows, like bluebirds, are secondary cavity nesters, who rely on holes in older trees to build their nests. Golf course workers always enjoy the presence of tree swallows as they sometimes provide company with us as we mow turfgrass. The tree swallows artistically fly and swoop in circles around us, hoping to catch insects that we disturb during mowing activities.
We will nurture fledglings of swallows in a few weeks. and hope to lure bluebirds later in the season to Potowomut. Here is a pictures of a tree swallows on the 5th hole.
Tree Swallow Male #5
Instead of bluebirds, we do have a mating pair of Tree Swallows in the boxes left of the 5th hole.
Tree swallows, like bluebirds, are secondary cavity nesters, who rely on holes in older trees to build their nests. Golf course workers always enjoy the presence of tree swallows as they sometimes provide company with us as we mow turfgrass. The tree swallows artistically fly and swoop in circles around us, hoping to catch insects that we disturb during mowing activities.
We will nurture fledglings of swallows in a few weeks. and hope to lure bluebirds later in the season to Potowomut. Here is a pictures of a tree swallows on the 5th hole.
Tree Swallow Male #5
No Joy For This Koi
June 5
Early Tuesday morning, irrigation pumps were turned off at 1:48am by an alarm triggered by pump control software. Wednesday morning, the initial diagnosis showed one of the three large irrigation pumps was not working properly. Our pump service professionals arrived from Connecticut yesterday. (Wednesday) We disassembled the affected pump, and determined that both pump and electric motor were fine. Further work revealed that somehow, one of our larger koi fish entered the pump suction line and was lodged in the pipe leading to this pump. A few hours and plenty of ingenuity led to the extraction of the doomed bright orange koi.
There is a filtering screen on the water suction line that somehow failed, allowing this intrusion. A diver arrives to the Club on Friday morning to inspect and possibly repair the intake pipe.
After 30+ years in the golf course business, I guess I haven't seen it all.....
Apologies for the graphic picture!!
June 6th
The diver swam to the bottom of the pond this morning and found that the filtering screen at the end of the plastic intake pipe had fallen off and was sitting on the bottom of the pond. This allowed our koi friend to get sucked up on Tuesday morning, when pumps were supplying 1200 gallons per minute of water to the golf course.
Mike was able to re-attach the screen, ending this odd saga. We will contact the initial installer of the intake pipe and question them about a problem that should have never happened.
Early Tuesday morning, irrigation pumps were turned off at 1:48am by an alarm triggered by pump control software. Wednesday morning, the initial diagnosis showed one of the three large irrigation pumps was not working properly. Our pump service professionals arrived from Connecticut yesterday. (Wednesday) We disassembled the affected pump, and determined that both pump and electric motor were fine. Further work revealed that somehow, one of our larger koi fish entered the pump suction line and was lodged in the pipe leading to this pump. A few hours and plenty of ingenuity led to the extraction of the doomed bright orange koi.
There is a filtering screen on the water suction line that somehow failed, allowing this intrusion. A diver arrives to the Club on Friday morning to inspect and possibly repair the intake pipe.
After 30+ years in the golf course business, I guess I haven't seen it all.....
Apologies for the graphic picture!!
June 6th
The diver swam to the bottom of the pond this morning and found that the filtering screen at the end of the plastic intake pipe had fallen off and was sitting on the bottom of the pond. This allowed our koi friend to get sucked up on Tuesday morning, when pumps were supplying 1200 gallons per minute of water to the golf course.
Mike was able to re-attach the screen, ending this odd saga. We will contact the initial installer of the intake pipe and question them about a problem that should have never happened.
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