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Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Shade
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Bunkers
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Tuesday, August 9, 2011
No Carts
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Thursday, August 4, 2011
Collars
The break in the weather has given us an opportunity to renovate the collars on the greens. Last Saturday I brought my old boss Frank Tichenor over to MGC to have a look around and discuss what I thought my options were for the collars. After bouncing ideas off each other here is what we are doing. On Wednesday I fertilized the collars with a half pound of nitrogen from a 50 percent organic 50 percent synthetic granular fertilizer. We received a half inch of rain on Wednesday night which was perfect for the fertilizer. Today we began aerating, seeding, and rolling the collars. I used 1/4 inch hollow side eject tines on the aerator at 2 inch by 2 inch spacing. We shoveled the cores, spread Declaration bentgrass seed at 2 lbs per thousand, then rolled the collars. We completed all the greens except 6,7, and 8 which will completed on Friday. This process will need to be repeated a few times before we are successful in establishing more bentgrass in the collars. The continued success of the new bentgrass will be dependent on the removal of certain trees around greens as well as increasing the fertility and air movement in these areas. Thank you for your patience.
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| Core Aeration of Collars |
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| Rolling Collars |
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Lightning
As many of you know we have a lightning detection system here at MGC. There will be frequent afternoon thunderstorms this time of year so I wanted to remind everyone that when the siren sounds make your way to the clubhouse immediately. While under a lightning delay the range nets and the putting green are still off limits. You can be struck anywhere outside so please stay inside the clubhouse or on the porch. Here is a reminder of what can happen if you do not follow these directions:
A 32-year-old Passaic man struck by lightning at Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook Monday evening had to be revived by emergency personnel on scene before he was taken to an area hospital in serious condition, officials said.
The man, who was not further identified, was struck by a bolt shortly before 6 p.m. during the fierce thunderstorm that pummeled the region with rain, bullet-sized hail and lightning.
He was taken to Monmouth Medical Center where he was listed in serious condition as late as 11:25 p.m., the spokesman, John Warren, said. His condition could not yet be determined today.
The man was in the beach area with his family when he was struck, Warren said. When his relatives found he had no pulse, they started CPR but were unable to revive him. Firefighters, park rangers and emergency personnel called to the scene, though, were able to jolt the man back to life with a defibrillator. He was then taken by ambulance to the medical center.
A 32-year-old Passaic man struck by lightning at Gateway National Recreation Area in Sandy Hook Monday evening had to be revived by emergency personnel on scene before he was taken to an area hospital in serious condition, officials said.
The man, who was not further identified, was struck by a bolt shortly before 6 p.m. during the fierce thunderstorm that pummeled the region with rain, bullet-sized hail and lightning.
He was taken to Monmouth Medical Center where he was listed in serious condition as late as 11:25 p.m., the spokesman, John Warren, said. His condition could not yet be determined today.
The man was in the beach area with his family when he was struck, Warren said. When his relatives found he had no pulse, they started CPR but were unable to revive him. Firefighters, park rangers and emergency personnel called to the scene, though, were able to jolt the man back to life with a defibrillator. He was then taken by ambulance to the medical center.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Venting/Spraying
Last night we received .35 inches of rain which left the greens very soft so I was able to vent #2,5,6, and 8, which are our most pocketed greens to help get some oxygen down to the roots. I also applied our plant protectants to greens, tees, and fairways. Next Monday all of the greens will be vented. As soon as we get some cooler weather I will be aerating the collars and seeding with Bentgrass as well as applying a granular fertilizer to the collars. The aeration will be shallow, just enough to give a spot for the Bentgrass seed to germinate and grow while the fertilizer will strengthen the remaining plants to help with all the wear that we are experiencing.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
USGA July 28th Update
This is from the USGA for the Northeast region of the country:
The recent heat wave has caused turf decline across the region. Although multiple daily 100+ degree temperatures have been enough to cause turf loss, the night temperatures of high 70’s and low 80’s have been the most damaging. With these night-time temperatures, physiological decline and disease pressure have been extremely high.
The best way to keep grass alive in this heat is to do as much as possible to keep the turf cool. Syringing greens, tees, and fairways throughout the day and even into the early evening hours has been a necessity at most facilities. Oscillating fans have been a huge help in aiding plant cooling and soil drying. For those without fans, the use of rented industrial fans or portable blowers has been helpful in increasing air movement, which can make the difference in turf survival or death.
Many golfers would think rain would be a welcomed sight for golf courses that suffer from the oppressive heat. Actually, heavy rain, combined with hot weather, can cause severe turf loss in poorly draining sites. Essentially, turf roots can’t keep up with their cooling needs, and wilt develops even though the soils are moist. Frequent syringing, even if the soils are wet, is necessary to keep grass alive in this scenario. Venting aeration is beneficial in helping to dry saturated soils and minimize turf loss.
Localized dry spots also have been commonly seen, especially where automatic irrigation coverage and uniformity are poor, and hand-watering is not available due to labor constraints. Venting aeration, hand-watering, and wetting agent usage are helpful in battling localized dry spot. Turf suffering from drought stress is likely to be dormant (off-color/brown) until rainfall and cooler weather develops. Dormant turf should not be heavily trafficked, as this could cause severe turf loss. Note: Poa annua doesn’t go dormant; if it’s brown, it’s probably dead, and overseeding will be necessary.
Disease issues have been very common, with Pythium, brown patch, summer patch, and anthracnose causing turf loss on many areas of the golf course. Plant-parasitic nematodes have also been reported. If root decline has occurred more rapidly than usual, check for nematode populations.
At this point, the best way to keep grass alive is to use defensive management practices that focus entirely on minimizing environmental and mechanical stress and less on overall playability. For most, this means slower green speeds, which are always better than dead greens.
The recent heat wave has caused turf decline across the region. Although multiple daily 100+ degree temperatures have been enough to cause turf loss, the night temperatures of high 70’s and low 80’s have been the most damaging. With these night-time temperatures, physiological decline and disease pressure have been extremely high.
The best way to keep grass alive in this heat is to do as much as possible to keep the turf cool. Syringing greens, tees, and fairways throughout the day and even into the early evening hours has been a necessity at most facilities. Oscillating fans have been a huge help in aiding plant cooling and soil drying. For those without fans, the use of rented industrial fans or portable blowers has been helpful in increasing air movement, which can make the difference in turf survival or death.
Many golfers would think rain would be a welcomed sight for golf courses that suffer from the oppressive heat. Actually, heavy rain, combined with hot weather, can cause severe turf loss in poorly draining sites. Essentially, turf roots can’t keep up with their cooling needs, and wilt develops even though the soils are moist. Frequent syringing, even if the soils are wet, is necessary to keep grass alive in this scenario. Venting aeration is beneficial in helping to dry saturated soils and minimize turf loss.
Localized dry spots also have been commonly seen, especially where automatic irrigation coverage and uniformity are poor, and hand-watering is not available due to labor constraints. Venting aeration, hand-watering, and wetting agent usage are helpful in battling localized dry spot. Turf suffering from drought stress is likely to be dormant (off-color/brown) until rainfall and cooler weather develops. Dormant turf should not be heavily trafficked, as this could cause severe turf loss. Note: Poa annua doesn’t go dormant; if it’s brown, it’s probably dead, and overseeding will be necessary.
Disease issues have been very common, with Pythium, brown patch, summer patch, and anthracnose causing turf loss on many areas of the golf course. Plant-parasitic nematodes have also been reported. If root decline has occurred more rapidly than usual, check for nematode populations.
At this point, the best way to keep grass alive is to use defensive management practices that focus entirely on minimizing environmental and mechanical stress and less on overall playability. For most, this means slower green speeds, which are always better than dead greens.
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