What a difference a week or two can make!
After a rain soaked June we have seen a hot and drier July. Some turf took a beating during the eight days in a row of ninety degree temperatures. This weekend's cooler weather is giving the golf course a break which has greatly improved turf the last few days! Greens' height of cut will be lowered this week because of the lack of 90 degree in the forecast for the near future.
Hot weather caused a rapid increase in both soil temperatures and stunt nematode population. Greens declined after our June 5 nematode control program failed because of excessive June rainfall. The rains quickly leached the control product from soils so it never had time to work. This is why 15 green was most affected by recent heat.....it is the green that perennially has the highest numbers of the microscopic soil root munchers and the population climbed completely unchecked. (A second biological nematicide was applied to all greens on July 18.) The results of this application will be evaluated in coming weeks.
Greens on holes 13, 15 and 16 struggled last week but are improving. This week, these three greens were mini spiked numerous times to help get needed air into the soil profile. After the spiking operation, greens were overseeded with ninety million creeping bentgrass seeds. Even if we see one percent germination, we'll have 900,000 new bentgrass plants on those greens in a week or so! All greens were fertilized Thursday to aid growth and recovery and the use of growth regulator chemicals has been suspended to all greens to aid healing.
Other thin areas of greens will be spiked and seeded as described above beginning Saturday night.
We will add sod to the failed area of 16 green during the week of July 29th. This area will be renovated during fall to remove the excessive accumulation (3 to 4 feet) of bunker sand that has splashed onto the green from thousands of bunker shots. We are excited about this project as it will restore the green back to how it was originally built and will ease the height of the steep slope of the greenside bunker.
Tidbits.....Cartpath paving and sod project is complete. Sodded areas will be opened up in early fall. Edges will be repaired through fall.....Grub control continues this week....We still haven't purchased a drop of water from Warwick, thank you new water holding berm!!....We expect to finally aerate and overseed 14 fairway this week; this project was put on hold due to heat....Bunker edging and re-sanding project continues. We have added 60 tons of sand with at least 90 more to be added....Tree Committee begins ambitious program to inventory all golf course trees on Monday....
Thanks for everyone's support the last few weeks! I hope everyone has a great week!
Patrick M Gertner CGCS
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Happy Independence Day Weekend!
We have begun to edge golf course bunkers, from hole eighteen working backwards. So far, the crew has worked on holes 18-16.
Details of the project:
1. Add a distinct edge on each bunker. In some cases, remove areas where sand and vegetation has created an ugly "no man's land" of both sand and grasses.
2. Remove all weeds from bunker interiors.
3. Add sufficient sand to bunkers that need it.
4. Distribute sand within each bunker, especially out to edges that have been altered during edging process.
5. Fertilize bunker banks.
Sixty tons of bunker sand will be delivered Friday (7/5) morning, with another sixty tons expected later in the month. We will begin installing sand to newly edged bunkers next week. In the meantime, we apologize for the transition areas on the low side of bunkers that is deep and not at all golf friendly. Please have patience as we will get to these areas ASAP!
All greens were topdressed yesterday. Applications of sand helps to keep greens smooth and to maintain their speed. You may see remnants of the sand tomorrow and Friday. Greensmowers will be sharpened and re-adjusted because the sand is abrasive to steel blades and bedknives.
All fairways were fertilized today. Fairways have needed no help staying healthy due to significant rainfall they've seen since June 1. This application will help them recover quickly from the stresses of summer and will help divots recover faster. An added benefit of a summer fertilizer application is better resistance against our most common turfgrass disease caused by fungus Schlerotinia homeocarpa....commonly known as dollar spot. Dollar spot is lessened with higher nitrogen levels, the opposite of most disease organisms which thrive with higher nitrogen levels. If fairways begin to grow excessively because of the added fertilizer, higher rates of growth regulators will be used in coming weeks.
The third insecticide of the season will be put down on fairways for hyperodes weevils next week. (Greens and tees have received multiple applications) Also in July we will apply an insecticide to control grub populations (both European Chafers and Japanese Beetles) to the entire property. Remember, the grubs don't do as much damage during fall as the skunks that dig up turf looking for them.
During fall, we plan on addressing the mound on 16 green that fails annually. This sizable mound was formed by bunker sand being thrown onto the green from thousands and thousands of golf shots from the bunker. Therefore, soils underneath the green in this area are comprised of 100% bunker sand. Needless to say, bunker sands cannot support turfgrass growth because of their total lack of nutrient and water holding abilities. This fall, we will dig out all the old bunker sands under the failed area of the green and the collar, and will replace with high quality loam and re-sod. We guarantee this area will improve for 2014!!
Tidbits.....The ugly hydraulic oil spill damage on 2 fairway will be sodded within the next two weeks. We also had another mower spew hydraulic oil onto 4 fairway today and will most likely replace this area with sod as well....Irrigation contractor will help us locate and repair a few broken wires the week of July 15....Thanks to Sal Soscia and John Bianco for their help painting the chain link fence on 17!!!....First fairway and rough fungicide application for disease gray leaf spot (GLS) are down and hopefully working, we sincerely appreciate the added 2013 budget funds for this purpose!!!
Please enjoy the 4th of July!!
Patrick M. Gertner CGCS
Details of the project:
1. Add a distinct edge on each bunker. In some cases, remove areas where sand and vegetation has created an ugly "no man's land" of both sand and grasses.
2. Remove all weeds from bunker interiors.
3. Add sufficient sand to bunkers that need it.
4. Distribute sand within each bunker, especially out to edges that have been altered during edging process.
5. Fertilize bunker banks.
Sixty tons of bunker sand will be delivered Friday (7/5) morning, with another sixty tons expected later in the month. We will begin installing sand to newly edged bunkers next week. In the meantime, we apologize for the transition areas on the low side of bunkers that is deep and not at all golf friendly. Please have patience as we will get to these areas ASAP!
All greens were topdressed yesterday. Applications of sand helps to keep greens smooth and to maintain their speed. You may see remnants of the sand tomorrow and Friday. Greensmowers will be sharpened and re-adjusted because the sand is abrasive to steel blades and bedknives.
All fairways were fertilized today. Fairways have needed no help staying healthy due to significant rainfall they've seen since June 1. This application will help them recover quickly from the stresses of summer and will help divots recover faster. An added benefit of a summer fertilizer application is better resistance against our most common turfgrass disease caused by fungus Schlerotinia homeocarpa....commonly known as dollar spot. Dollar spot is lessened with higher nitrogen levels, the opposite of most disease organisms which thrive with higher nitrogen levels. If fairways begin to grow excessively because of the added fertilizer, higher rates of growth regulators will be used in coming weeks.
The third insecticide of the season will be put down on fairways for hyperodes weevils next week. (Greens and tees have received multiple applications) Also in July we will apply an insecticide to control grub populations (both European Chafers and Japanese Beetles) to the entire property. Remember, the grubs don't do as much damage during fall as the skunks that dig up turf looking for them.
During fall, we plan on addressing the mound on 16 green that fails annually. This sizable mound was formed by bunker sand being thrown onto the green from thousands and thousands of golf shots from the bunker. Therefore, soils underneath the green in this area are comprised of 100% bunker sand. Needless to say, bunker sands cannot support turfgrass growth because of their total lack of nutrient and water holding abilities. This fall, we will dig out all the old bunker sands under the failed area of the green and the collar, and will replace with high quality loam and re-sod. We guarantee this area will improve for 2014!!
Tidbits.....The ugly hydraulic oil spill damage on 2 fairway will be sodded within the next two weeks. We also had another mower spew hydraulic oil onto 4 fairway today and will most likely replace this area with sod as well....Irrigation contractor will help us locate and repair a few broken wires the week of July 15....Thanks to Sal Soscia and John Bianco for their help painting the chain link fence on 17!!!....First fairway and rough fungicide application for disease gray leaf spot (GLS) are down and hopefully working, we sincerely appreciate the added 2013 budget funds for this purpose!!!
Please enjoy the 4th of July!!
Patrick M. Gertner CGCS
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Lesson in....Being Careful For What You Wish For
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
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
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.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Q: What is the most damaging insect turfgrass pest?? A: Hyperodes Weevils
With apologies to Debbie Downer of 1990's Saturday Night Live fame for this week's negative newsletter....
I have been extremely fortunate that I have been involved in golf course maintenance for a long time. To illustrate, the first golf course I worked at hosted a major tournament (The PGA) that was won by Jack Nicklaus...way back in 1980!! Since then, I received world class education from Penn State University and have worked at three other clubs including Potowomut. During this time, I have seen golf course conditioning levels rise dramatically. Also rising are the number and ferocity of turf damaging turfgrass diseases and insects.
Way back in 1980 hyperodes weevils were not a concern of turf managers in the Northeast. Zero threat to turf, and zero dollars spent for annual control. Regionally they became problematic near New York City during the 1990's and have since spread quickly throughout the East. At Potowomut in 2013, they pose the largest threat of any insect pest to greens, tees and fairway turf. Hyperodes damage comes from the larval (small grub) stage from June through September. The extremely small grubs (1 to 4 mm) feast on irrigated golf turf. They can devour turfgrass roots quickly and turn a perfect fairway, green or tee to an unplayable one in days. Also to complicate matters, they hatch up to four generations during a golf season which means multiple control strategies are needed to limit damage throughout the season.
Last week we applied an insecticide that controls egg laying adults (insects) while they walk from their winter hideouts in forested areas to yummy turfgrass. Within the next ten days, we will treat the larval stage (grubs) soon after eggs hatch. Depending on control success, we may have to repeat the entire expensive control process in later June and July for later generations.
Pests to both plants and human health are always adapting to survive the environments (and control methods) presented to them, especially ones created by man. Because of these pressures, human and plant pathologists and entomologists are always searching to create new ways to keep them off balance. Based on the dollars we spend to battle a relatively new golf course pest, I am not convinced man is winning the war.
We also have news of another insect pest will soon invade our small corner of the world. Crane flies have moved east from Cleveland to Buffalo and Rochester and within two or three years we will be devising control strategies for those nasty buggers. Oh Joy!!
Tidbits.....Aerating greens with solid tines this week. All greens will be done three times to open soils up so they may breathe. A light topdressing will follow....All sprinkler heads are being edged this week....Broadleaf weed control continues....Poa annua seedhead control program has worked perfectly this year on greens....Similar chemical was applied experimentally to fairways 8,9 and 14 to suppress growth causing discoloration that will grow out soon....Have pumped 1.87 million gallons to date, 1 million less than 2012 to date....
Once again, apologies for today's negative report. However, as many of you know I like to share with you different facets of the golf course maintenance industry that still perplex and teach me even after all these years.
Patrick M. Gertner CGCS
I have been extremely fortunate that I have been involved in golf course maintenance for a long time. To illustrate, the first golf course I worked at hosted a major tournament (The PGA) that was won by Jack Nicklaus...way back in 1980!! Since then, I received world class education from Penn State University and have worked at three other clubs including Potowomut. During this time, I have seen golf course conditioning levels rise dramatically. Also rising are the number and ferocity of turf damaging turfgrass diseases and insects.
Way back in 1980 hyperodes weevils were not a concern of turf managers in the Northeast. Zero threat to turf, and zero dollars spent for annual control. Regionally they became problematic near New York City during the 1990's and have since spread quickly throughout the East. At Potowomut in 2013, they pose the largest threat of any insect pest to greens, tees and fairway turf. Hyperodes damage comes from the larval (small grub) stage from June through September. The extremely small grubs (1 to 4 mm) feast on irrigated golf turf. They can devour turfgrass roots quickly and turn a perfect fairway, green or tee to an unplayable one in days. Also to complicate matters, they hatch up to four generations during a golf season which means multiple control strategies are needed to limit damage throughout the season.
Last week we applied an insecticide that controls egg laying adults (insects) while they walk from their winter hideouts in forested areas to yummy turfgrass. Within the next ten days, we will treat the larval stage (grubs) soon after eggs hatch. Depending on control success, we may have to repeat the entire expensive control process in later June and July for later generations.
Pests to both plants and human health are always adapting to survive the environments (and control methods) presented to them, especially ones created by man. Because of these pressures, human and plant pathologists and entomologists are always searching to create new ways to keep them off balance. Based on the dollars we spend to battle a relatively new golf course pest, I am not convinced man is winning the war.
We also have news of another insect pest will soon invade our small corner of the world. Crane flies have moved east from Cleveland to Buffalo and Rochester and within two or three years we will be devising control strategies for those nasty buggers. Oh Joy!!
Tidbits.....Aerating greens with solid tines this week. All greens will be done three times to open soils up so they may breathe. A light topdressing will follow....All sprinkler heads are being edged this week....Broadleaf weed control continues....Poa annua seedhead control program has worked perfectly this year on greens....Similar chemical was applied experimentally to fairways 8,9 and 14 to suppress growth causing discoloration that will grow out soon....Have pumped 1.87 million gallons to date, 1 million less than 2012 to date....
Once again, apologies for today's negative report. However, as many of you know I like to share with you different facets of the golf course maintenance industry that still perplex and teach me even after all these years.
Patrick M. Gertner CGCS
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Is winter over??
The extended winter of 2012-2013 seems to be abating this week. Good riddance...and let's be thankful we aren't located in Minnesota where Superintendents don't anticipate opening some golf courses for three more weeks!! Talk about a short season!!
We have had a busy spring. To date we have completed wall to wall application of pre-emergent crabgrass herbicide, spot fertilized thin areas of rough, repaired and sodded the bunker on 16, fine graded and seeded the berm project and the 6 bunker removal areas, started up irrigation, and ground up and filled many tree stump holes! We have also been cleaning a very messy golf course from winter's winds and snows...with thanks for many members' efforts on March 23rd.
The golf course is making slow progress as of today. We are beginning to transition from clean up tasks to everyday maintenance tasks for golf. We also plan on working on a few projects during the next few weeks. These include bunker edging and improving, sprinkler head edging, broadleaf weed control, hyperoides weevil control and seeding thin areas of rough.
BERM PROJECT SUCCESS
The berm project completed last December has helped to solve the poor drainage and unsightly area right of the 17th fairway. This area had been ugly for years and once grass germinates later in spring the improvement will look much better! However the picture isn't complete unless we look at increased water holding in irrigation ponds. The project was designed to help us become less reliant on water purchases from the city of Warwick by allowing us to store more water. Our ponds are holding an extra 700,000 gallons (12-14" increased water level) painting an even better picture of Berm Project success!!
CLUBHOUSE LANDSCAPE IMPROVEMENTS
Since January, a subcommittee of the Greens Committee has met weekly to plan improvements to our clubhouse and golf course plantings. (Mary Bagley, Mark Marcantonio, Rosemary Pariseault and Patrick Gertner) We have surveyed all beds on the golf course, evaluated each bed's needs, defined functions of each area, defined priorities and irrigation capabilities bed by bed, and weighed member expectations to help us plan facility wide improvements. We are working with a prominent Rhode Island landscaper (Dave Renzi of Out In Front Horticulture) who has broad plant knowledge to help us create planting themes that will be present throughout the property. We expect plans will take a few years to complete but believe plantings this spring will make immediate impact.
Plans for spring 2013 include improving the front of the clubhouse, the bed behind the 16th green and 17th tee beds. We will begin by preparing beds for planting a few weeks later. Our aim is to proceed slowly adding plants so beds aren't simply stuffed with plant material. Small plants will be added and will be spaced to allow for their maturity. Each bed will be a work in progress as the Committee will re-evaluate each bed....we reserve the right to make changes after the changes!! Stay tuned as we will report our progress and plans in future emails.
Tidbits....Greens height of cut will be lowered again Friday morning....Intermediate rough was being double mowed yesterday when a hydraulic lift arm failed. If the part arrives Friday, we will complete intermediate rough mowing by Saturday am....The small greens sprayer is also waiting for parts; thankfully we have two sprayers....13 fairway is growing at twice the rate of others because of the many fertilizers applied last fall to hasten growth....Paving contractor has been delayed for a week or two more....Tree Improvement Committee has asked us to grow up rough on the left side of #2 to better challenge par for drives long and left.....Greens aeration is scheduled for the week of May 6. This will not be a full blown aeration process; we will only punch holes with solid tines and is much less disruptive to greens and golfers than the September process....Please thank our wonderful crew for all their spring efforts; best crew ever!!
Patrick M Gertner CGCS
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
April 3, 2013
Thanks again to members who helped us clean the golf course on March 23rd. Thanks to you, our clean up efforts are progressing quickly despite the heavy workload caused by windy winter storms. Much remains, however and we will continue until complete!
Irrigation system has been turned on and is ready for the season! As of April 3rd last year, we had already pumped over a million gallons of irrigation water. As of today in 2013, only 10,000.
Thanks for everyone's patience as we ready and improve your golf course for the season. We have all hands on deck cleaning the golf course as quickly as we can!
Tidbits.....Greens were opened March 14....Cartpath construction begins this month...O/B and hazard stakes, and bunker rakes will go out by Friday....We will get bunkers cleaned and raked next week....A tree trimming crew will be here next week to remove damaged maple at 9 Tee/10 Green, and a few other storm damaged trees....Stump grinding and filling will continue through April...Laser reflectors that are missing have been ordered...Pre-emergent crabgrass control begins next week in roughs....
Turf came out of winter in great shape. We are still waiting (like you) for warmer temperatures for growth and initial green up during a very cold and windy spring. By Saturday April 6th we plan on applying both a wetting agent to greens (to aid soil water retention) as well as early spring growth regulator that will speed greens up and prevent the emergence of Poa annua seedheads during May and June. We will need a non windy day however....
We have begun to fill our irrigation pond at 18 using our well located in the driving range. We are already storing more water than we've been capable during past years because of the pond extension/berm project. We will repair winter erosion on the edges and reestablish turf as quickly as possible.
Irrigation system has been turned on and is ready for the season! As of April 3rd last year, we had already pumped over a million gallons of irrigation water. As of today in 2013, only 10,000.
Thanks for everyone's patience as we ready and improve your golf course for the season. We have all hands on deck cleaning the golf course as quickly as we can!
Tidbits.....Greens were opened March 14....Cartpath construction begins this month...O/B and hazard stakes, and bunker rakes will go out by Friday....We will get bunkers cleaned and raked next week....A tree trimming crew will be here next week to remove damaged maple at 9 Tee/10 Green, and a few other storm damaged trees....Stump grinding and filling will continue through April...Laser reflectors that are missing have been ordered...Pre-emergent crabgrass control begins next week in roughs....
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