Golf Course Update

It seems as the weather has broken for a day here and the high humidity has left us for at least 24 hours. The course made it through the first heat wave of the season with only a few bumps. The greens are in good shape although were rolling slower during the humid and wet weather. They will be rolling quicker this weekend with the lower humidity. Our nutrient management program is in full swing now that the summer months have arrived. The greens are treated with nutrients such as manganese, magnesium, potassium, calcium, and even sea kelp on a weekly basis to help promote turf health at a time when the Poa annua roots are getting shorter by the day, but the collars need more attention. On a bi-weekly basis we additionally apply a balanced nutrient package including nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus to just the collars around each green to help prevent mechanical damage from our rollers and mowers.

One area of concern has been certain patches of fairways that are turning a bronze color. These areas are predominantly Poa trivialis which is an even weaker species of Poa and usually has a much lighter green color then bentgrass or even Poa annua. The long wet period followed by the high heat in combination with our growth regulator program has caused these patches to turn a bronze color. I realize that these areas are not ascetically pleasing but keep mind as the Poa triv is stressed the bentgrass begins moving into these areas leaving us with a much healthier and stronger stand of turf in long run. I sent a sample of these areas to Rutgers to ensure that my diagnosis was correct and the response is as follows There were no active insects, diseases, or mites identified on this sample. We feel that the poor performance of the grass is due to the cumulative effects of environmental and cultural stresses. Moisture stress is the primary issue here as the decline of the turf was preceded by a long period of heavy rainfall, high humidity, and significant summer heat stress. We suspect that the turf will recover and recommend some soluble nitrogen to speed the process. These areas have been treated with a balanced nutrient package this week and will be treated again next week as well to aid in recovery.



Notice the different patches - Bentgrass, Poa annus, Poa Trivialis, and Ryegrass



We use chemicals from a few different manufactures including BASF which began a program donating money to the Wounded Warriors Project. A superintendent has to take a picture on their course with an American Flag and they will donate $100 to the Project. Shaun Kennedy from Helena Chemical came by to take my picture this week and it is now posted on the this website http://www.basfturftalk.com/honor-america/ and a donation has been made in the Madison Golf Club name to the Wounded Warriors Project.