Bye bye Poa annua seedheads??

We've begun our program of slowing growth on greens with growth regulators. This is done to improve greens' speeds for putting but is also done to improve turfgrass health and stamina in summer. The program this year was also designed to prevent Poa annua seedheads from appearing during May and June.

Growth regulators slow growth by limiting the plants' production of gibberellic acid at the growing point. Less gibberellic acid limits the plant's ability to elongate cells. Under regulation, growth is slowed by more than 50%. Research shows that in addition to faster and smoother greens, the energies the plant puts forth toward manufacturing shoots and leaves is reversed. Simply, instead pushing out shoots and leaves, the turf grows more prolific roots. Deeply rooted turf can pull more nutrients and water from soils when summer heat usually causes root systems to die off.

Greens are populated by two vastly different species of turfgrass, creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) and annual bentgrass, (Poa annua.) Only the annual bluegrass produces those pesky seedheads in late spring that cause poor putting conditions. With some luck, we will not see as many seedheads this spring due to the change in our program. (Luck may be needed, as there is a narrow 48 hour time window for a proper application, six weeks before seedhead emergence!!)

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Bunker Update

Bunkers will be cleaned, raked and opened for play this weekend.

Springtime decisions to prepare the golf course for play are many. This spring, we have focused our efforts on cleaning a very dirty golf course after a damaging winter. The golf course cleaning process can be slow and arduous when mixed in with the first few mowings of greens, tees and fairways, putting out golf course equipment, irrigation start up other general duties. We try and accomplish course clean up as soon as possible because we cannot mow rough when sticks and branches are present. I guess you could say we are on a deadline.

This year, bunkers weren't touched until last week and were not finished for the weekend. All bunker rakes weren't put out for the weekend, and many bunkers were in very tough shape.

Next year, we promise to put a higher priority on getting bunkers ready for play during Spring. We also promise to provide better weather next Spring. We all know early Spring 2012 weather HAS to be better than what we have seen in 2011!
As always, thanks for your patience, support and feedback.