Change of Plans

I was informed late Saturday that our aeration contractor was not going to be able to deliver on our contract for fairway aeration due to staffing issues with their company. I was able to contact another aeration company Monday morning and as luck would have it Forsgate Country Club had just canceled their fairway aeration for Monday September 29 so we took that date. Securing the date is only half the battle as weather plays a huge factor in our ability to aerate, basically it can't rain. Lets all hope the weather next Monday is the same as this Monday.

Greens are being mowed this morning at a higher height of cut along with the approaches and the tees later this morning. All playing areas were treated with fertilizer yesterday to aid in the healing process. We should be back to our normal cutting heights by the weekend and half way to complete recovery.

The following diagram is of interest in explain why leaves turn the colors they turn in the fall:

Course and USGA Update

The greens were mowed Friday afternoon for the first time since aeration picking up mostly sand which is why we use our old mowers so as not to destroy our good greens mowers. We are on-track with previous aerations concerning recovery and should be back to our normal morning mowing routine by the end of the week. The greens will continue to be rolled and the next mowing will be Tuesday afternoon. Tees and approaches have also been aerified and topdressed with mowing to resume next week on those areas. The fairway aeration contractor will be here on Monday to complete the fall aeration practices on the short turf. Spot areas of rough will aerated and seeded in the next two weeks.

From the USGA:

Bring It On

By David A. Oatis, director, Northeast Region
September 17, 2014

The changing colors of the leaves are a highly visual reminder that it is time to prepare your greens for the upcoming winter.

The blue skies, low humidity, and cooler temperatures of fall do not harken memories of the cold winter months that lie ahead. However, turf managers everywhere need to consider the upcoming winter and begin to prepare the turf in advance. The first step is to begin raising cutting heights on putting greens. Many golfers enjoy faster putting green speeds, and the fall-induced physiological changes to turf make them much easier to achieve during this time of year. It is easy to get caught up in the “race for speed,” but doing so can affect the winter survival of your turf.
Think of the turfgrass leaves like solar panels. If turf leaves are kept in the shade their ability to capture energy will obviously be compromised. Low cutting heights effectively reduce the size of the solar panels and also will adversely affect their ability to capture energy. Why is energy so important? Plants now are storing carbohydrates for the winter; therefore, keeping cutting heights too low, too late in the fall, sends the plants into the winter in a weakened state. Turf that enters the winter weaker has a lower chance of survival. If we experience a mild winter, it may not matter. If we experience another winter like the last one, raising heights alone may not be enough; but, if you want to improve your turf’s chances of surviving this winter, and if you want to get it off to a quicker start next year, start raising cutting heights right now. Here are a few other things to do as well:

• Raising putting green cutting heights by 0.005 inch a week, starting in early-mid September, will help. These slight increases will have a minimal impact on putting green speed.
• Increasing sunlight penetration through tree work can have a huge impact on winter survival. Light penetration in the fall has a significant impact on the plant’s ability to store carbohydrates and harden off properly. Greens that are shaded in the winter experience slower melting and an increased potential for damaging freeze/thaw cycles. Winter shade, even when the turf is not growing, often translates to more winter injury.
• Evaluate opportunities to improve surface and internal drainage. Deep aeration, drilling and filling, and installing internal drainage systems all are effective means of improving internal drainage. Improving drainage can impact summer performance as well as winter survival. Surface drainage can have a major impact on turf performance throughout the entire year. Poor surface drainage, frequently from collar dams, can trap water on green perimeters and greatly increase the potential for crown hydration injury. Multiple aerations followed by core removal and compaction can sometimes lower collars enough to improve surface drainage; but, if the damming effects are significant enough, sod removal followed by soil removal and regrading may be necessary.
• Increase nitrogen fertility to promote healthy growth. Overfertilization in the fall can increase the potential for winter injury as well as snow mold diseases, but the turf should not be too lean and weak going into the winter either. Nitrogen and potassium fertilizer both are needed.

Pay even more attention to sunlight penetration if your greens experienced turf loss last year and now have more bentgrass in them. Creeping bentgrass has a much higher light requirement than annual bluegrass. Fortunately, the silver lining in the winter injury scenario is that many courses now have significantly more bentgrass in their greens than they did a year ago before the winter damage occurred. For courses with significantly more bentgrass in their greens, this is a great time to promote that grass more aggressively.

Source: Dave Oatis (doatis@usga.org)

Aeration Update

Its the most hated time of year according to golfers, aeration, but for superintendents and agronomists its one of the most important. The greens were deep aerified and core aerified this past Monday disturbing over 13% of the greens surface area meeting the goals of a combined disruption of over 20% for the season in accordance with our ISTRC testing. The holes were filled with sand, brushed and the greens were rolled. Rolling will continue in the afternoons this week with the first mowing being on Friday afternoon using our old greens mowers. The greens will be sandy, bumpy, slow, and soft this week and into the weekend but the end results will be firmer healthier putting surfaces. The rain today changed our plans slightly moving the tee and approach aeration to Wednesday and Thursday. Next Monday an outside contractor will be performing the core aeration and clean-up on fairways as sub-contracting this process twice a year is much more fiscally responsible then purchasing all of the equipment needed.

Hollow core aeration is the process of removing organic material with cored plugs. Removing organic material and filling the cavities with straight sand reduces the amount of organic material in the upper root zone. In addition, organic material migrates through sand-filled aerification cavities and dissipates into the lower root zone. The goal is to keep the upper root zone organic matter below 2.5%. We are currently at 3.06% as of last fall when our last test was performed.

Deep tine aeration is performed with 3/4 inch diameter 12 inch long solid tines. Deep tine aeration is an excellent tool for relieving compaction and aerifying the lower root zone. The kicking action of these large tines in the lower root zone shatters hard pan and deep layers and it is common to find deep root growth in these channels.

Deep Tine on the left and Core Aeration on Right

USGA September Update

A Favorite Transition

By Jim Skorulski, senior agronomist, Northeast Region
September 3, 2014

Mature little bluestem, goldenrod and a hint of fall foliage signify the transition from summer to fall and with it a change in maintenance priorities.

The first week of September usually brings with it a feeling of relief even following a benign summer season. We know the worst weather has past and the golf calendar is more manageable. The days are shorter, the nights cooler and cool-season plants are better able to produce enough energy to meet their needs with a little left over to store for the winter ahead. It is a busy time for sure, and most staffs are leaner and tired. It has been a long year, especially for those who have had to grow-in golf courses ravished in winter. But there is still a feeling of relief and accomplishment as the summer season transitions into fall.
In most areas of the Northeast region, the grass is much stronger than it was a year ago. There are always exceptions, but the mild summer conditions have left the turf stronger and with a better root system than at summers end in recent years. That should mean that cool-season turf will be able to use the favorable weather to build upon existing root mass instead or replacing lost roots. Furthermore, the healthier plants stand a better chance to survive what might be ahead this winter season. This is the time to begin to maximize growing conditions so the turf plants are able to take full advantage of the favorable weather. This includes the growing conditions below and above ground. The late-summer maintenance checklist should include:

• Core cultivation to alleviate surface compaction, control organic matter, reduce layering concerns and stimulate new root growth. The soil temperatures are near ideal for cool-season plants to recover quickly from the cultivation programs.
• Raise the height of cut. This does not have to be done drastically, but any increase in mowing height will promote more leaf tissue which can absorb more sunlight and ultimately produce more energy. Slight increases in mowing height – 0.005 inch per week starting immediately – are not likely to be noticed by golfers and any increase in mowing height will help. However, do not wait until the first frost in fall to begin this process, because by fall it will be too late to take full advantage of the optimal late-summer weather.
• Check late-summer shade patterns on the playing surfaces. Late-summer shade patterns can vary significantly from the shade patterns in early or mid-summer. Tree removal work planned for late fall and winter should be expedited on densely shaded sites. The objective is to maximize light penetration throughout the year.
• Fertilize to reestablish nutrient reserves in the root zone. Granular sources of nitrogen and potassium can be used following cultivation programs to provide slightly higher levels of these nutrients. Other fertilizer adjustments should be made at this time to eliminate any soil nutrient deficiencies. Soluble sources of nitrogen and other nutrients can also continue to be utilized in spoon-feeding programs, but remember the main objective at this time of year is to fertilize for optimum growth and recovery. Playability will come naturally as the temperatures cool.
• Continue to topdress greens and other playing surfaces, especially if traditional core cultivation is not being done until later fall. Continued topdressing can only benefit the surfaces in September.
• Be persistent with growth regulators. Whether your growth regulator of choice is Primo, Trimmit, Cutlass or a combination of products, use them. Growth regulators will help turf plants channel energy to the roots, which is always beneficial in the late-summer season.

The 2014 season is not yet in the books and we can only hope the fall is as kind as the summer has been. Take advantage of what Mother Nature provides and focus more on the plant’s needs during this transition period. Finally, this is also the time to regain some of that mental energy that has been depleted through the season. Whether it be a few holes of golf, casting a rod, scouting your favorite hunting area or relaxing with the family; take some time away from the golf course and relax a little. Take a deep breath and enjoy the transition.

Source: Jim Skorulski (jskorulski@usga.org)

Labor Day

The course received 1.5 inches of rain on Sunday evening leaving the bunkers washed out and the course a mess. The bunkers with liners had zero contamination and drained beautifully which is a testament to the recent construction projects. The firm conditions that we had going into the weekend are long gone now and as it turns out the first week of September might be the hottest of the summer. The 9th hole is completely open for play now right on schedule. I hope you enjoy the holiday and can come out and enjoy the course.

                    9th Project Complete

           Zero Contamination of Sand with Liners