Heat/Drought/TurfGrass

During this extended period of heat and drought our turf is suffering a bit. Even warm season turf like our Bermuda fairways can be effect by severe heat. After extended period of  heat the turf firs slows down growing and then begins to go dormant. Because dry turf surfers quicker than moist turf we water every night.  In fact for the last couple of weeks I have run every head on the course, every night, for the maximum time. Our irrigation has never been very good. The biggest problem is its spacing and layout. We have very very little irrigation in any roughs on the course. So, although we still have plenty of water and I am using our system to it's maximum potential we are still falling behind. We are running water on hot spots through out the morning and occasionally in the after noon when absolutely necessary. (Running water in the105 degree heat is not real effective or efficient) We are doing everything possible, including spraying a Wetting Agent on the fairways(a chemical that helps the soil maintain moisture longer.) This is not cheap but after last year I invested in the chemical just incase. Good thing.

As of now we have plenty of water, which has allowed me to not yet cut back on the watering. I have been running our transfer pump from 13 for several weeks now to stay ahead. SO FAR we have been able too. Although evaporation is so rapid, we are losing water everyday.

So, even with running all the water we are running, much of our turf is still suffering, if this continues we will have to Go Cart Path Only to help save our fairways.  I hope the wetting Agent and our watering practices prolong that decision but I'm afraid it is inevitable, if the forecast holds. I will keep you posted.

Our transfer pump pumping water into th pond on two!

Fairy Ring

As everyone has seen, we have several areas of Fairy Ring on many of our greens. Fair Ring is primarily an aesthetic problem, however if left unchecked it can damage the turf. We have been treating each area as it arises with the traditional method of spot spraying it with a fungicide and watering it in with using a wetting agent. This has been working pretty well, but with growing conditions at a peak the turf is growing through its nutrition (fertilizer) quickly and new rings has been popping up. Not to worry, I have been tweaking our fertility and using some other treatments trying to stay on top of the Rings. The pathogen that causes the Rings is always in the soil, we only see the symptoms when conditions are right, or should I say slightly off?
Again, for the most part the rings pose little more than aesthetic problems, unless neglected.

Here are some pictures of three different rings in different stages.

Here is a fresh ring that was treated today.

Below is an older ring that was treated late last week and begining to heal.

Below is a ring that was treated earlier last week and is nearly gone.

Aerified!

We finished aerifying Greens Late Tuesday. Greens will take about 10 days to be 100% , but they are playable now.

Here are some pictures of the process. In order of completion.

Jose Verticutting

Cande Mowing

Alfredo Topdressing

Austin Spreading Organic fertilizer

Me and Lorenzo Aerifying

Me dragging pluggs to break them up.

Crew blowing of debris.

Alfredo/Austin/andEdgar took turns brushing in sand.

Alfredo spreading 13-2-13 fertilizer.

We then water heavy and Roll in the morning. We will begin mowing Thursday or Friday and by the end of next week we will be at our original hieght of cut.

This accident happened after we were finished aerifying. Machine and trailer are ok. Oscar however suffered a minor injury on his foot. He is fine and will be back to work in a few days.

Aerifying

We are aerifying Greens this Monday and Tuesday. Actually we will begin verticutting the Greens late Sunday evening. Austin will start on number 1 at 5:15 pm. If you want to play after that please start two greens ahead of him. Thank you.

The entire course will be closed Monday so we can complete as many holes as possible. The plan is to have the front side open Tuesday morning, and possibly the back nine open late Tuesday afternoon. Hopefully around 4:00pm. However, we will not open the back until everything is done, so please check with the pro shop before heading to the back.

Wednesday and Thursday we will be aerifying Fairways. In order to keep this process moving along we may have to close a hole or two at a time. I am sorry for the inconvenience but we have to keep moving in order to complete this project in a reasonable amount of time, not to mention keeping my crew safe!. Thank you for your understanding.

Thank you!

5.23.12

 

Maumelle Country Club Members,

 

I wanted to inform everyone that I have had a member step forward and volunteer to help this weekend. Mr. Hearnes will be helping us with morning course preparations during the 4-Ball.

 

Thank you in advance Mr. Hearnes!

 

A little further information for those who may be interested. The reason I felt in necessary to ask for help was an employee cut ties with us Tuesday early morning leaving me short handed considering we have a full course shotgun at 8:00am and we are trying to have the course in perfect condition. I am in the process of finding someone else and I hope to have someone in place next week.

Verticut Greens

Tuesday we verticut our greens first time this season. We verticut every other week during the growing season. Theses Maintenance cuts are not very aggressive but they help us control the grain and the build up of thatch. We set the verticutter to cut at 1/16 of an inch deep and cut each line twice. This time our direction was due East and West. We change directions each time to maximize grain control.
In june when we aerify we will set the verticutter at a dept of 1/8 of an inch.

Our by-weekly verticut has very little negative affect on ball roll.

Austin Verticutting nursery green.

                                                                 After verticuting

After mowing!

Austin Britton, Assistant Golf Course Superintendent

I would like to introduce Austin, our new Assistant Golf Course Superintendent.

Austin Comes to Maumelle Country Club from TPC Southwind in Memphis.
Austin graduated with a Turf Management Degree from Southwest Tennessee Community College and has worked at SouthWind for approximately 2 years.

Please welcome him to our Maumelle Family!!

Here is Austin, slightly surprised by the Camera,

Austin hard at work spray fairways.