Thursday, October 9, 2014

Catching Up On Things & Fall Update

I can't believe it but October is here and the Fall golf season is slowly slipping through our fingers.  The abnormally cool weather has hindered what was previously some of the best weather of the season but that hasn't slowed down the Grounds Department.  It has been a while since my last post so earlier today I used some archives to provide some reminders on some very valuable information and I will follow that with some addition information via pictures to get everyone caught up.


Aerial View of 6 & 15 with all the fall colors (via drone & Mr. Rick Smith)



Drainage work completed on 5 fairway
 
Using technology to monitor moisture on the greens

Apprehended a few moles on 14 green once again this year

Removal of damaged Maple Tree @ the putting green


Aerification completed

Aerial view 5 & 7 (via drone & Mr. Rick Smith)

My son & I were able to get to a game @ Ohio State

Improvement needed by membership following cart restrictions when conditions warrant to avoid this ugly sight

Cross Country & Soccer have made the weekends a very busy time but very enjoyable family time

Ball mark repair...every golfer needs to repair upon arriving to the green.

Some beautiful fall sunrises

Addition aerification/seeding of some of the tees  (12 tee)
Tee markers will be moved forward on these tees to allow recovery

Middle range tee has been sodded & the seeding of the back range tee completed
Please use range mats to allow recovery
The family course is available as bronze ball designates the tee
 
Scenic view from 13 tee
Hopefully the Fall season will hang around as long as possible so the course and all its beauty can be enjoyed. 
 
Lastly with Halloween just around the corner.......

Stay safe this Halloween & avoid the Zombies!

As Winter Draws Closer...This Is What Is On Many Superintendents Minds After Last Winter

Michigan State University
Turf Extension

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Preparing Turf for Winter

Dr. Kevin W. Frank & Dr. Joe Vargas, Jr.
Michigan State University

The winter of 2013-2014 shattered weather records and Poa annua putting greens.  Ice cover that endured from early January through mid-March was a significant factor in causing winterkill but there were certainly situations where crown hydration freeze injury or even desiccation injury on exposed sites also caused damage.  With winter on the horizon there is plenty of discussion on what to do now and what to do during winter to minimize the risk of winterkill.

Shade

Following last winter it was clear that any turf that was weak or simply not as healthy was exposed and killed.  In many instances the winterkill patterns mirrored shade patterns on greens.  Turfgrass growing in the shade is simply not as healthy as turfgrass growing in full sunlight.  To compound the problem trying to reestablish damaged greens in the shade resulted in longer recovery time than greens recovering in full sunlight.  Improving sunlight penetration to greens by removing and/or thinning tree canopies will improve turfgrass health and ultimately may improve the odds of turfgrass surviving winterkill events.   
In some instances winterkill mirrors shade patterns.

Covers

Covers are not widely used throughout Michigan, especially southeast Michigan.  There are probably several reasons including cost, storage, lifespan, and unpredictable winter weather.  Last winter was extreme with ice, snow, and cold temperatures.  The winter of 2012 if it’s remembered at all, is remembered for the mild temperatures that resulted in golf being played almost all winter long.  Keep in mind that all covers are not the same.  The permeable covers that were purchased by many golf courses this spring provided a tremendous advantage in reestablishment but will not provide absolute protection in the winter from thick ice cover.  Permeable covers will certainly provide some buffer/protection from low temperatures and desiccation and should be used if available but if this winter delivers another dose of lengthy ice cover, permeable covers can’t be counted on to prevent damage. 

Impermeable covers will protect the turf from ice cover damage but are not necessarily a panacea for all your winter worries.  Impermeable covers need to be ‘tucked down’ tightly to the surface to prevent any water from getting under the cover.  Impermeable covers will prevent gas exchange with the atmosphere so in that respect they actually mirror thick ice sheets.  Venting (exchanging air under the cover) impermeable covers throughout winter reduces the risk of anoxia developing under the cover.  To use or not use covers, especially impermeable covers can be a hotly debated topic.  Ultimately the golf course superintendent is the person that should make the decision.  After all no person knows the golf course, the environment, and the turf better.   
Covers can be used for winter protection and reestablishment.

Snow Mold & Covers

It is important to remember that greens covers act similar to snow cover when it comes to snow mold activity. The covers provide the same environmental conditions for the development of snow mold as the snow does. So if greens covers are placed on the greens in November and not removed until March, they will create the same environmental conditions for the development snow mold as golf courses in Northern Michigan experience where snow covers the turf for three or more months.  It is important that adequate levels of snow mold fungicides be applied to protect the turf for three or more months if covers will be used for this length of time. This usually means applying 3 way fungicide combinations at full label rates.  Microdochium patch will occur throughout the fall. It is most active when the temperatures are in the 60’s and combined with wet weather. Therefore, it is important to make fungicide applications throughout the fall to prevent Microdochium patch from developing.  If Microdochium patch is active at the time the covers are placed on the greens, it will continue to develop under the covers in spite of any fungicide applications. 

Winter Snow & Ice Removal: To Remove or not to Remove?

This question might make the cover debate seem tame.  Should you remove snow and ice and if so when should you start?  Last year was an anomaly with thick ice sheets that were in place for 90 days or greater in many areas.  Although some courses have been successful with removing snow throughout the winter this may not be feasible for some courses due to either lack of personnel or snow moving equipment.  Instead of being concerned with removing snow from the first event to the last, consider developing a removal strategy that targets ice duration and snowmelt that could lead to crown hydration freeze injury.  For example, if ice forms and is in place for greater than 30 days I would definitely make attempts to remove.  For crown hydration freeze injury consider removing snow in late February/early March prior to anticipated snowmelt.

Removing snow from a putting green.
Surface Drainage

The key to preventing or reducing the incidence of crown hydration freeze injury is good drainage.  For putting greens that lack adequate surface drainage, consideration may even be given to recontouring greens that are annual victims of crown hydration injury.  Less dramatic measures include cutting cup cutter sized holes in poorly draining areas and filling the cores with gravel or sand to try and move the water away from the surface.  Another more common tactic is to cut sod strips from greens to facilitate water movement off the greens once snowmelt begins.
Help the melt by stripping sod (photo courtesy Adam Garr)

Cultural Practices - Let it Grow!

Fall is prime time for cultural practices to improve turfgrass health.  In addition to core aeration and fall fertilization consideration should be given to raise mowing heights as fall progresses.  Higher mowing heights won’t save the turf alone if winterkill is again an issue, but it could certainly be a factor in producing a healthier plant and if you think back, how many putting greens had winterkill but the collar had no damage?  Granted, the greens aren’t going to look like collars going into winter but maybe even a slight increase in height might help.    

Bunkers Are Not Just A Hazard for the Golfer...But A Problem For Maintenance

We are all well aware of the inconsistent sand throughout the bunkers on the course but there is also the drainage issue.  Whether the rain event is needed for turf health or not; I often forget the time it takes to get the bunkers back to somewhat respectable condition.
Grounds Crew pumping the water that won't drain!

After the water is pumped out!
The conditions after the water is pumped out are still wet for a period of time until they dry out.  A lot of labor hours go into this process and I would love to see time spent on other job details not to mention the improved playability of the bunkers if more renovation work could take place.

Efforts During the Fall Lead to Success Next Season

The fall season is crucial to the success of the turfgrass the following season.  The work we perform now allows the turfgrass plant to not only recover from the previous summer but begins to store carbohydrates and other nutrients which will be needed the following summer.
Aerification is done to help eliminate compaction and allow air into the soil profile.

Topdressing is done to help dilute any organic matter that has accumulated.

Fertilizers are applied to supply the turfgrass plant with the proper nutrients.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Its Been Awhile But Back With Some Updates

Where has the summer gone???  The kids are back to school and football season is just around the corner.  Fall golf is my favorite time of year and most important to next years turf being healthy.  The Grounds Department switches gears from maintaining during the heat of summer to building the turf back to strength for the following year.  Aside from a few heavy rain events (looks like one is taking place now) the summer has been excellent and I couldn't have asked for anything better coming off a horrific winter/spring.   The course has been shining bright for the past 2 months with some prime playing conditions.  I am looking forward to a strong finish with the Club Championships and fall golf season.

View from behind 18 green
Aerification is a key component of turf health and improved course conditions once completed. With Fall Aerification season knocking on the door the schedule has been put in place & is as follows:

                        AERIFICATION SCHEDULE (WEATHER PERMITTING)

                                   TEES                WEEK OF AUGUST 25TH

                                FAIRWAYS      WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 1ST
                                 (CLOSE 9 HOLES TUESDAY & 9 HOLES ON WEDNESDAY)

                                 GREENS           WEEK OF OCTOBER 6TH

We have found time to make some improvements based on things we learned from the past winter.  Drainage and getting water off the turf is always crucial so we have had the opportunity to fix some issues on 5 approach, 5 fairway, & 17 fairway.  The crew did an excellent job of getting the work done with minimal member inconvenience and Kudos to Andrew (Asst. Superintendent) for leading the drainage projects.  It was my hope to complete some drainage work on 13 fairway but time and weather are interfering at the moment.  I believe 13 fairway drainage will now be a fall project.

5 fairway drainage

17 fairway drainage
Tree work has been touched on a little as time has allowed.  The stumps from the previous winter have been removed and also had outside contractor tackle 1 day worth of work removing some fallen trees & a few dead Ash trees.  This is just the tip of the iceberg unfortunately as the number of dead Ash trees are increasing much faster than we can remove.  If the weather cooperates this fall & winter...if...tree removals will be our focus.

Tree removals along the property line at 13

Stump grinding the trees removed last winer
Irrigation repairs are always an issue and we have had plenty of them with over 90 leaks in 2014.  I have begun talks with Leibold Irrigation on a new irrigation system as the 1979 system is standing on its last leg.  While a new system would surely be god sent to me & the crew, it will also be great improvement to the membership.  It will allow the Grounds Crew to focus more time and resources to improving other areas of the course not to mention the playability of the course as we would be able to maintain the use of irrigation water properly without fear of break downs.  Over the years I have learned to adapt and prevent any major turf issues but not without a steadfast effort by myself & crew.  That being said, I have always felt the course is always to wet which limits the overall playability of the course.  I look forward to moving into the technology that is available to provide these improved course conditions & playability.

Countless hours & effort spent repairing the irrigation hydraulic tubes

Irrigation problems strike at any hour, day or night; leaving turf in a compromising environment

Aside from the rough start to the 2014 season, I am proud of the course that has been delivered to the membership and hope the membership is as proud of their course as I am.

Here is to more days like these to finish out the year.

View of 16 from the gold tee
And less days of these.

View from 8 gold after a flood event

Bringing more of these to all those associated with Idlewild Country Club.
Happy faces after a day at Idlewild

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Scenes from the Course

View from 8 Gold Tee


11 Fairway

12 Island Green

Panoramic from 12 green thru 7 green

13 fairway

6 green

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Clmbing Up The Mountain....Then Rolling Back Down!

The season has surely not been a smooth one from a weather perspective but accomplishes are repeatedly made if even to only enjoy it for small periods of time.  The rough start from the winter damage, followed by the well below temperatures of early spring, & now the repeated heavy rain events pretty much sum up the storyline.  The bend but don't break mentality has been the inside joke with the Grounds Crew and I love their continue fight to climb back up the mountain.  The view once we get up top is surely beautiful and apparently short lived as Mother Nature seems to enjoy watching us roll back down but again I respect & admire the persistent fight in the crew to get back on top.
 
Panoramic view from 12 green to 8 tee from last week's wicked storms 
8 tee surrounded by flood waters
No carts with boats optional
Tree debris throughout the course was an extra hurdle in preparation for the 4th of July weekend
A view from the top of the mountain isn't to shabby

Just like the city of Chicago...the July 4th weekend was beautiful

We began our weekly trek back up the mountain this week after finally having a fun filled, action packed 4th of July weekend with the course shining bright and playing quite well.  The momentum is sure to build this week with some detail work around the course as well as some key agronomic tasks followed by playing catch up with some irrigation issues. 


Catching up & dialing in the fine details


And of course..the "Dragon"always wants attention


Any way the "Dragon" can give a headache...it does.
Bunker repair work to bring back the detail lost with the storms


Topdressing of greens
Mother Nature can't forget to give us more rain this AM

 The rain has left us for the day and we are back out tackling all the objectives needed for another great weekend that is surely ahead.  Onward & upward climbing the mountain we go!!!!

A view from behind 18 green as a final reminder of where we are trying to get....On Top The Mountain!!