Questions, answers, facts and a request.

Questions, answers, a few facts and a request......

1. Question: Fairway and rough ryegrass is diseased with grey leaf spot (GLS). Why aren't greens affected? What about tees?
Answer: Greens have no ryegrass, so they cannot get GLS. Tees have ryegrass and can get GLS. Tees were sprayed on 8/23 and again on 9/26 with fungicides that prevented disease. We spray tees with higher quality fungicides that prevent a wider spectrum of diseases compared to less expensive materials used on fairways. Fairway fungicides used after August 15 target only a single disease, dollar spot, and no applications applied this year would have prevented GLS because of the high cost ($ 20,000+) to prevent it. Rough is never sprayed for any disease.

2. Question: What else are we doing to get rid of GLS unsightliness?
Answer: Besides the overseeding projects mentioned in an email last week, fairways and intermediate roughs will be fertilized heavily to get them to fill in quickly. Growth regulator use has been suspended until sometime next spring after fairways have fully healed. At this point, we need to aggressively grow grass and not impede healing in any way!!

3. Question: Will GLS come back?
Answer: For this year, it cannot because GLS needs consistent warm temperatures to remain active, especially at night. Yes, it could come back next year or in a future year, but it is a very rare turf disease. During 2011, we had the "perfect storm" for its development late August and September with a warm hurricane and almost every day rain occurrences in the weeks after. Total rainfall over a 38 day period was 9.5"

4. Question: How many types of grasses do Potowomut fairways contain?
Answer: Many. The predominant two species are ryegrass and Poa annua (annual bluegrass.) These two species are also the two grasses most prone to disease outbreaks in our climate. Fairways also contain Colonial Bentgrass, Creeping bentgrass, Kentucky Bluegrass, and miscellaneous Fine Fescues....a true hodgepodge!

4. Fact: Ryegrass has not been added to fairways at least since we began at Potowomut in 2005. Seed bottles** hold colonial bentgrass and fine turf fescue. We go out of our way NOT to add ryegrass to fairways because of GLS and other potential disease problems. Ryegrass's best quality is fast germination; seed comes up in 2 to 3 days and can quickly "rescue" poor turf areas and turf managers. However as tempting it is to use ryegrass to reseed poor areas with fast ryegrass, we won't do it. Ryegrass is a quick fix grass that just kicks the can down the road a bit. Creeping bentgrasses, once established, provide the best playing surfaces and reliability over the long term and will be the only seed added to fairways in the future.

5. Question: Why do we add so much sand to greens after aeration?
Answer: For a couple of reasons. First, after the aeration machines pull soil cores, they are removed by the crew with shovels. We add sand because we are changing the soil we grow the greens in. Out with the old, in with the new!! Instead of original soils, we add a USGA tested sand that resists compaction, helps drain water from greens, aids golfers by accepting a properly struck golf shot, and to keep putting surfaces smooth and fast.

6. Important Request: Creeping bentgrass is a wonderful turf for fairways, but it makes for terrible rough. Please help us by only using seed bottles ON FAIRWAYS ONLY!!

**Seed bottle bentgrass will be changed from Colonial Bents to Creeping Bents before next year, to take advantage of the creeping bent's ability to laterally grow over time, combined with wonderful member participation to aid the cause. Fescue seed will be removed. Today's fairway conditions demonstrate the need for more bentgrass on fairways and far less ryegrass.




Thanks to Owen Zimmer, grandson of Richard (Paco) Zimmer and our many members who are helping us to seed divots in fairways! Please remember to replace an intact divot first, and use the seed bottle as a last resort!! Also thanks to member Larry Bonoff for helping to coordinate the Greens Staff and Bag Room Staff about the divot program.

Another wet soggy post...

We are writing today to again report about our poor attitude about weather, especially the wet and cloudy kind. Over the last 38 days, 9.5" of rain has fallen on Potowomut, when probably 4.0 to 4.5 inches would be considered normal. Turf has not been able to dry for any length of time, it has been constantly wet. Wet turf is prone to diseases, no matter how strong the preventative fungicide program. Constant wet weather has also caused earthworms to come to the surface often, causing thousands of unsightly worm casts on fairways.

Everyone has seen poor performing fairways and roughs, especially on the front nine. Fairway and rough ryegrass turf was diagnosed with Grey Leaf Spot which is also referred to as blast disease because of the quick and devastating nature of the pathogen. (When blast disease shows up in the Northeast, it often occurs after the rains and warmth of a hurricane.) Chemical controls to prevent Grey Leaf Spot are too expensive for most golf clubs in our climate as a single fairway treatment exceeds $ 10,000 in cost, which is almost 25% of our yearly outlay for fungicides. Preventing the disease during the season would require two treatments.

We communicated this week with friend Dr. Lane Tredway, turf pathologist at North Carolina State University. He advises clubs not to try and prevent the disease but instead install resistant varieties of turfgrass to fairways. Resistant turfgrasses such as bentgrass and fescues do not get Grey Leaf Spot, and planting seed is less expensive than fungicide treatments that may or may not work.

Therefore, within the next week we will be hiring a contractor to re-seed ten to twelve acres of damaged fairways with creeping bentgrasses. Poor performing rough areas will also be re-seeded using a borrowed seeder from Quidnessett CC. Forecated warm October weather will help seed germinate quickly and fill in turfgrass voids on the golf course.

Earthworm casts present huge challenges for Superintendents. Again, chemicals are available that control earthworms, but they are very pricey and last for only two weeks making repeat applications necessary. Many clubs in the Northeast topdress fairways with a half inch of sand per season which also discourages populations.

Today we began aerating greens and completed six of them. Aeration is the process where we poke holes in soil to relieve compaction, improve soils by adding lost pore space and add sand. Excellent soil is comprised of 50% soil particles and 50% pore spaces. Over the course of the season pore spaces are squeezed away from soils from foot traffic, and from the weight of rainfall and maintenance equipment. Pore space is needed in the soil as space for roots and for water movement. Aeration helps soils breathe and allows us to maintain healthy, well draining greens during the season.

After greens are aerated and cleaned, we apply a fine layer of USGA tested sand to fill holes. Sand is a better growing medium as compared to existing soils that are removed and also smooths surface imperfections. Greens built with sands drain better and accept well struck golf shots.

We expect to complete the operation on Friday. Greens aerated in October can be slow to heal because of cold nighttime temperatures. However, warm weather over this weekend may speed the process a bit. Greens will be fertilized to speed growth, and thus, recovery. Also this year, greens will be overseeded to one of the improved Penn State bred varieties of low growing bentgrasses.

Please join me in welcoming the next five or six days of dry weather!!