Summers of 2010, 2011 and 2012 were difficult for golf course turf with warm temperatures and periods of each summer with no rain. The golf course was beat up each year with some cumulative damage evident in the form of thin and barren turf to non-irrigated areas. As a student of history and observer of weather patterns, this past winter I began wishing for nature to give us some of her balance this summer in the form of a cooler and/or wetter summer. I wished for a summer where we wouldn't need to purchase expensive water from the city of Warwick, one where we could concentrate on projects instead of working to keep turfgrass alive 24/7.
As June 2013 comes to a close with its excessive 12+ inches of rainfall, we have different problems as compared to past years. The irrigation pond is 6" over capacity this morning thanks to excessive rains, and because of the Pond Berm Containment project completed last fall combined with the golf course's lack of irrigation needs. Usually by June 30th, we are daily using more irrigation water than our supply well can provide us. As a matter of fact, last June 30th, pond level was extremely low as we spent over $ 700.00 for 160,000 gallons water to irrigate with. Did we wish too much??
Wet conditions have also caused a strange disease situation on 14 fairway. Samples of 14 fairway turf were delivered to the University of Rhode Island Plant pathology lab last Monday, June 24. On Wednesday Dr. Nathaniel Mitkowski, Associate Professor of Plant Pathology communicated the results to me in a telephone conversation that started with these words....."In my sampling and diagnosis history since 1994....I have NEVER seen this disease on bentgrass before...." Oh Joy!
14 fairway is our only large fairway that is comprised of 95% creeping bentgrass turf. Bentgrass is the proper turf for our region....the species of grass we desire on our fairways and is seeded by golfers daily with sand and seed divot bottles. You could say 14 is the favorite child, the fairway we'd like all others to emulate. Bentgrass turf is (usually) strong, fights off disease and insects and recovers quickly. Once again....be careful for what you wish for, Patrick. 14 fairway suffers today from anthracnose, a turf disease not usually seen on bentgrass. (See link below from Penn State) This was caused by plants being excessively wet for a long time, combined with a significant thatch layer on this fairway. We do see and treat for anthracnose in turf, but only on greens and only on Poa annua, an entirely different species of turf.
http://plantscience.psu.edu/research/centers/turf/extension/factsheets/managing-diseases/anthracnose
14 is the only affected fairway. Two fungicide and fertilizer applications have been applied to 14 fairway. Some areas of the fairway will recover during the next few weeks. However, there will be a few spots that will need seed or sod this fall.
Our extremely high nematode (small microscopic root munchers) population was treated for on June 4. Excessive rainfall must have washed the natural sugar cane based material quickly from soils this year as post treatment sampling shows a population of 5300 stunt nematodes still present on 15 green. (Acceptable level is 800 or less) We will most likely follow up with another nematode application using a new natural based biological material from aspirin maker Bayer.
Tidbits.....Wet weather pattern is with us for at least two or three more weeks into mid July, according to Potowomut member and Meteorologist Herb Stevens...pumped 3,951,000 gallons to date....3.7 million gallons less than 2012 to date....14 fairway disease tells us that fairway aeration must be a priority to remove the thatch layer...Greens will be topdressed Monday July 1 for speed and smoothness....Golf course remains too wet to bring back cartpath contractor.....Fairways have received a fungicide application for last year's disease nemesis, Gray Leaf Spot, while roughs will get a treatment soon...Ballmarks are more prevalent during periods of wet weather; please please repair yours plus one other and thanks!!....
Patrick M. Gertner CGCS
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Rain rain go away, here and in Philadelphia!!!
As of this morning, (Wednesday) the golf course has seen (and handled quite well) over eight inches of rainfall during the first eleven days of June. Many areas are wet, rough is thick and in the be careful for what you (I) wish for department, the newly expanded pond has exceeded its banks by hundreds of thousands of gallons. Thanks for everyone's cooperation and understanding this week as conditions forced us to keep golf carts off the course for two days.
A casualty of the wet weather is our progress on the cartpath paving and sod replacement program. Areas of the golf course would be ruined if we allowed heavy equipment to continue working the past two weeks. We will begin again when the golf course firms up. We still have five more areas to prepare and pave. After paving, topsoil and sod replacement to abandoned cartpath areas will complete this project for 2013.
When the paving crew completes a cartpath, areas adjacent that aren't sodded will be seeded continually during the year by our crew. These are difficult areas to establish turf because of their close proximity to new cart paths, heavy golfer and equipment traffic, and because these areas are prone to washouts after even a gentle rain. Thanks for your patience!
As warmer weather approaches it becomes very important for all players to repair ball marks on greens. Tools are available in the Pro Shop. Please take the time to make the damage disappear, by moving good turf into the area of damage. Fix another one if possible.
Also, please help maintain great fairways for everyone by replacing turf divots on fairways. If however, the turfgrass divot explodes or is non-existent, then it is ok to use the sand and seed mixture, but ONLY ON FAIRWAYS. Please DO NOT add sand and seed mixture to any rough areas as the seed in bottles is incorrect for these areas!
I am writing this update while on an Amtrak train heading south toward Merion Golf Club and the US Open. Merion is a very special golden age golf course that will identify a deserving champion on Sunday or Monday. Because I previously lived outside Philadelphia, I have spent many hours touring and playing the world renowned top ten property. I am excited to observe and learn, and hopefully bring back a few ideas that we can use to improve Potowomut.
Tidbits.....Wet year: to date, we have only pumped 2.5 million gallons of irrigation water during 2013; last year's year end total was 19.5 million....record low was 8.9 million gallons in 2009....fairway mower had an oil spill due to a catastrophic failure of a hydraulic oil hose on #2. Area will be aerated and seeded next week....Bunkers need plenty of work and will get it during summer months....Fairways will be fertilized next week with a new material that many Superintendents have been raving about....Treatments for hyperodes weevils and nematodes are done, successes to be determined at later dates....grubs will be treated for during July....wet years generally provide opportunities for disease organisms to thrive, so far so good for us as fungicide treatments are working well. Heat will exacerbate these issues when (if) it arrives.
A casualty of the wet weather is our progress on the cartpath paving and sod replacement program. Areas of the golf course would be ruined if we allowed heavy equipment to continue working the past two weeks. We will begin again when the golf course firms up. We still have five more areas to prepare and pave. After paving, topsoil and sod replacement to abandoned cartpath areas will complete this project for 2013.
When the paving crew completes a cartpath, areas adjacent that aren't sodded will be seeded continually during the year by our crew. These are difficult areas to establish turf because of their close proximity to new cart paths, heavy golfer and equipment traffic, and because these areas are prone to washouts after even a gentle rain. Thanks for your patience!
As warmer weather approaches it becomes very important for all players to repair ball marks on greens. Tools are available in the Pro Shop. Please take the time to make the damage disappear, by moving good turf into the area of damage. Fix another one if possible.
Also, please help maintain great fairways for everyone by replacing turf divots on fairways. If however, the turfgrass divot explodes or is non-existent, then it is ok to use the sand and seed mixture, but ONLY ON FAIRWAYS. Please DO NOT add sand and seed mixture to any rough areas as the seed in bottles is incorrect for these areas!
I am writing this update while on an Amtrak train heading south toward Merion Golf Club and the US Open. Merion is a very special golden age golf course that will identify a deserving champion on Sunday or Monday. Because I previously lived outside Philadelphia, I have spent many hours touring and playing the world renowned top ten property. I am excited to observe and learn, and hopefully bring back a few ideas that we can use to improve Potowomut.
Tidbits.....Wet year: to date, we have only pumped 2.5 million gallons of irrigation water during 2013; last year's year end total was 19.5 million....record low was 8.9 million gallons in 2009....fairway mower had an oil spill due to a catastrophic failure of a hydraulic oil hose on #2. Area will be aerated and seeded next week....Bunkers need plenty of work and will get it during summer months....Fairways will be fertilized next week with a new material that many Superintendents have been raving about....Treatments for hyperodes weevils and nematodes are done, successes to be determined at later dates....grubs will be treated for during July....wet years generally provide opportunities for disease organisms to thrive, so far so good for us as fungicide treatments are working well. Heat will exacerbate these issues when (if) it arrives.
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