Fine Fescue Trial

I have started a trial area located on the hill behind the 5th tee in the "native area". My goal for a long time has been to develop a plan for the out of the way "native areas" to have a fine fescue stand that a wayward golf ball could still be found and played. A colleague of mine in Colorado tried a method using a post hole digger to plant fescue on 1 foot centers allowing for a great look and have playability. The method is labor intensive but inexpensive. The area is totally killed of all vegetation with just small holes dug on 1 foot centers for the fescue. I have tried a small area to monitor this season with the goal of expanding this fall. The fescue for this area is a mix of sheep, hard, and red fescue while our fescue for our normal rough areas is tall fescue.

Existing Turf Killed, Seed planted

Seed Germinated

Finished product - Country Club of the Rockies
Photo courtesy of Kevin Ross

Blossoms at Madison

Forecast calls for a dreary weekend, so here are some blossoms to help fight the weather

Recovery in Full Swing

Its been 12 days since we finished aerification of the greens and we are starting to see some growth  with clippings in the buckets instead of just sand. I know its frustrating to many members putting over holes and through sand but the weather controls growth, plain and simple. No amount of fertilizer will increase growth if the soil is too cold, extra fertility during cold periods only builds in the soil until the warm weather arrives causing a flush of growth with slow unhealthy putting surfaces. I have attached two charts below that show the Cool GP or growth potential of cool season turf. The charts clearly show this week will be much better for growing turf then last week with red indicating temperatures too cold for growth, yellow indicating some temperature stress, and green for good growth potential.

As a reminder please fill your divots on tees and fairways with the mix provided and please look for your ball marks on the greens and repair them properly.

Last weeks growth potential - all red/yellow

This weeks growth potential - green/yellow

2016 Spring Aeration Update

Last week was not the best weather for aeration week between rain and freezing temperatures but we were able to complete aeration to all playing surfaces. Not much recovery was seen last week as the temperatures were fairly cold but this week things should begin to recover with the warmer temperatures. We will begin mowing the greens again on Wednesday although they will still have some sand and be bumpy for a few more days. The tees have been treated with a pre-emergent crabgrass product allowing us to begin filling divots this week. As a reminder only use divot mix on the tees and in the fairways, NEVER in the rough. We are adding some dried compost to the divot mix this season to help increase the germination and recovery time. Dried pelletized compost has also been added to collars and select tees this season at aeration to help increase moisture holding and aid in traffic tolerance.

We have two irrigation projects we will be completing this week allowing us to finish the area around the new fence behind 5 green. I am hopeful the remaining plant material needed to finish the area at the first tee will be available next week so we can finally finish up our spring projects and turn our full attention to golf course maintenance.

Please be mindful where you are using the push carts, they should remain 10 yards away from greens either in the rough or on cart paths. Please do not push the carts across tee and green surfaces.

Course Update

We have been having some warm days yet most of the nights are still pretty cool so turf growth has been sporadic. We have planted the majority of the new trees to replace some of the trees we removed during the winter. I am waiting for some additional plant material to finish the area by the 1st tee but the nursery has not received their shipment yet. We have installed new irrigation on the right side bunkers of 8 green along with the mounding area between the clubhouse and 9 fairway.

 A couple of things about the weather, the ball washers will not be placed out until the threat of freezing temperatures is gone, a week from today temperatures will be in the 20's with a chance of snow. The weather system forecasted for next week coincides with our aeration days so it will be a waiting game to see how much we can get finished depending on the hand mother nature deals us. The divot buckets will be placed out on the tees following the aeration the tees next week. We have received the permit for the fence behind 5 green, work will start on that project tomorrow. Spring is a funny season perfect golf weather one day with frigid and snowy weather the next. We have a full crew now and we will be completing as much maintenance everyday based upon the weather.

Course Update and USGA Regional Update

The season seems to be moving right along much different then last spring when on March 17th we were removing ice from the 6th green. The greens have been mowed 4 times this season and rolled twice with the club's new "two-wheel drive" roller. The rest of the short turf has also been mowed and the course is beginning to green up. The crew has been hard at work clearing the stump grindings, adding topsoil where needed and seeding. New trees and plant material is on order and should be arriving next week. The fence project behind 5 green has received zoning approval from the borough and we are currently awaiting our building permit. Carts will available this weekend if your thinking about braving the cold weather. We have a Welcome Back cocktail party at the club Tuesday March 22nd at 7 PM and I hope see you there.

New Roller in Action

Let's Tee It Up... But
Remember It Is Only MarchMON MAR 14 01:26:00 EDT 2016By Adam Moeller, agronomist, Northeast Region

The early spring weather is being welcomed by golfers who are taking advantage of the courses that have opened early throughout the Northeast Region. The early start to the season has allowed many superintendents to complete post-winter course cleanup ahead of schedule. However, most facilities are not fully staffed, so getting course conditions to a level that meets peak-season expectations will be very challenging. The season is roughly three weeks ahead of schedule and, as a result, many superintendents are a few weeks away from having their full seasonal staffs. Remember, bringing staff back earlier than anticipated will have significant budgetary impacts.

Even with ample staff, opening putting greens to early spring play is a tough decision. A significant amount of play on putting greens that are not actively growing, or not growing fast enough to recover from wear, may lead to thin turf and bumpy surfaces. Do not hesitate to keep putting greens closed if they are not growing enough to handle traffic.

Several golf course maintenance practices may need to be examined and adjusted because of the early start to the season.Poa annua seedhead suppression and weed/pest-control programs may need to be initiated earlier than anticipated if the warm spring weather persists. This may result in a more applications than originally budgeted.

The early start to the golf season may stimulate revenue but it is crucial to acknowledge that staffing and/or potential budget restrictions might limit course conditions at your facility. Golfers should enjoy the early season but must be patient with course conditions. Remember, it is only March.  

Early Spring Conditions

After two years of getting a late start to the season this year looks to be starting a bit different. We brought back half of the crew a week early to begin getting the course cleaned up. The weather will be fantastic this week and I am sure many of you will be out to play but please keep in mind it takes a couple of week to get everything cleaned up and begin regular maintenance. Our well project has been completed with the installation of the new well shaft, pump, and discharge head. Completion of this project will provide the club with reliable water source for the next 20 years. The fence project behind 5 green is half way with the trees being removed including the logs and the stumps have been ground. The fence will be installed in the next few week so please be mindful that we currently do not have a fence behind the green and we do not want golf balls landing in the neighbor's yard. Thank you for your understanding until we can finish this project.

I will be attending the MGC Green Chairman Education Series with Ken Ryan from the greens committee on Thursday at Willow Ridge Country Club in Harrison, NY. I always enjoy going back to Willow Ridge as it was my first assistant superintendent job. The seminar includes speakers from the USGA green section, Cornell University, and world renowned golf course architect Tom Doak. The day should be a great experience.

New Well Shaft Installation